Dark of Night and Morning's Light
by KiddyGrade8
Summary: Aki's life has gone to Hell, and it just started to pick itself up. Then two men show up in New Domino City bearing dragons older, stronger, and more fearsome then hers...and one seems to want her head on a platter! Could anything else go wrong?
1. Strangers

**DARK OF NIGHT AND MORNING'S LIGHT**

by: KiddyGrade8

Dawn broke silently over the city of New Domino. The sun rose in an array of beautiful colors that shone magnificently across the darkened city. A flock of birds soared high above the city, gliding on the updrafts and currents that flowed. A crisp, cool breeze swept widely along the plains just outside the city boarders and across the city from Satellite. Two figures stood in the field, overlooking the awe-inspiring city. One dressed in a cloak blacker than a moonless night, while the other wore a cloak of the brightest white emblazoned with gold. The wind caused their cloaks to ripple wildly around their feet. The one in white opened his mouth to speak. "So…This is the famous New Domino City. Is this our destination?" The one in black nodded, not saying a word. White sighed. "Rudger has gotten out of hand. He crossed a line in releasing the Earthbound Immortals, and he still has the audacity to taint the innocents with his corruption…" He sighed. "At least we don't have to worry about him anymore." He turned to Black. "Why are we here, anyways? Rudger is dead. There's not much more damage he can do anymore." There was a silence between the two. "Ah. Oh course. Our fallen brother is here, isn't he? Shinji…" He groaned and massaged his temples. "Let's see what notable duelists are in the city. Maybe we can get some time off to relax after this assignment." He pulled a small hand-held device out of a pocket on the inside of his cloak and flicked in on. He scrolled down through lists of cities and their latest census counts. "Ah, here we go. New Domino City." He paused for a minute. "Hmmm…Fudo Yusei, Izayoi Aki…" He whistled. "There's an American here named Jack Atlas. Don't see too many Americans in this part of Japan anymore. Until recently, he was classified as the Duel King. It appears that Fudo Yusei has taken his place, hmm…There's a 'Crow the Bullet' Hogan and twins who are only listed in here as 'Lua' and 'Luca'. It doesn't give their last names. Hmm…So many promising duelists…This might turn out to be interesting after all."

Black became more attentive as White read off the list. He watched as White put the device back into his pocket. "Let's go, then…We don't have too much time to linger." He hesitated only for a moment before speaking again. "You know, you would probably get father in life if you spoke more. Now we must move, before the Dark Signers are alerted to our presence." He strode forward, only to stop a few meters later. He turned back to Black, who remained completely motionless except for his cloak flapping in the wind. "Come on! We don't have all day! We must-"

"…No…"

His voice was naught but a whisper. White paused, and then sighed deeply. "Alright, alright…What is it, now? What's got you so riled up? I haven't seen you this excited in…ever."

"Izayoi…Aki…" White had a puzzled look on his face. "Izayoi Aki? You know her? Is she an ex-girlfriend or something? You never seemed like the dating type…or the people type…or even the sentient being type." He glanced at the clock on his pocketed device. "Well…I guess we have enough time to swing by and say 'hi'. DO you know where she lives?" Black said nothing, which frustrated White. "Dammit, man! I'm not a mind reader! If you won't tell me what's on your mind, I can't help you! What's going on?"

Black looked up at White, who recoiled slightly. From within the shadows thrown across the man's face by his hood glared a menacing eye. It glowed a vicious red. He visibly wore a maniacal grin which made White think that his partner truly was insane.

"…Black…Rose…"

"Ummmm…Are you okay, man? You're not gonna…go nuts and kill everyone again, are you?" Black dashed past White as if he didn't even notice he was there; cloak fluttering behind him, his metallic black duel disk glinting in the morning sun. White briefly remembered when he got that duel disk. He had requested it be custom-made, to represent his pride in his favorite card; but the company refused. He had raise total hell with that deck until they gave in. Naturally; they gave his partner, the man who was now dressed in white, a custom duel disk of his own. He subconsciously placed his hand on his disk and felt its smooth texture in the shape of his own signature card. He shook his head violently, snapping himself back to reality. He turned and ran after Black. "HEY! STOP, MAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! IF YOU KILL 'EM ALL, YOUR DOING THE DAMN PAPERWORK!"

The city continued to sleep; unaware of the cloaked figures crossing its borders, one trying to stop the other. A bank of fog began to ominously drift in.

* * *

Izayoi Aki, age 18, woke up groggily to the incessant buzzing of her alarm clock. She lay almost face-down in her pillow, barely able to breathe in the stale morning air of her apartment. It took her a few moments to realize what the hellish noise that woke her was; but she eventually dropped her right hand onto the cold plastic and fumbled around on the top of it, feeling for the "OFF" button and, being unable to find it through groping, was forced to prop herself up on her elbows so that she could see what she was doing. It was only 7:30 in the morning. Aki cursed her schedule as she quite literally dragged herself out of her bed and tumbled to the floor, where she remained in her lingerie for about a minute, trying to not fall back into the blissful throws of slumber. She was eventually able to muster up enough strength to lift herself off of the floor and stumble into the bathroom for a morning shower. She shed herself of thong and bra and trudged into the glass box.

The hot water felt good against her skin this unusually cold morning. She sat there under the running fluid for some time, feeling the warm water run down the curves of her body and running through her schedule today in her head.

10:00 – Jack wanted her to help test his new Duel Runner design.

11:30 – Carly wanted to meet her at the local café for an early lunch. Ever since Jack had dumped Carly for Mikage, she had been all over Aki. Either Carly was trying to make Jack jealous, or Aki had done something that REALLY turned the reporter on. Either way: she didn't care. She had never had a relationship. Guys rarely ever noticed her, girls were terrified her. It didn't matter. She was open-minded. Dating another girl was worth a shot, no matter how apprehensive she was.

12:20 – Meet Yusei for reasons unknown. She figured that she might as well skip that last one. Hang with Carly all day, see what happened that night.

When she had everything sorted out, she actually began to wash herself. She grabbed the brush hanging from the showerhead and quickly scrubbed herself off, taking her time washing between her legs. She quite enjoyed the sensations that the bristles sent through her body. On several mornings she had pleasured herself with the handle of the brush, and she briefly considered doing it today; but she figured that she didn't have time right now. She lathered the shampoo in her hair and thoroughly rinsed it out. She never bothered with conditioner and, as a result, her hair always felt like sandpaper. She didn't care. Nobody noticed her anyway. After all, she was the Black Rose Witch.

She turned the water off, wrapped a towel around her seductive figure, and stepped out of the warm shower into the cold morning air. She absolutely hated that feeling, and she wondered why it was so cold in the middle of July. She walked back into her bedroom and opened her closet, pausing briefly to look in the mirror on the door before she opened it. She dismissed he feeling and opened the closet and grabbed one of her outfits, which were all the same; save for her old academy uniform (Her hand lingered over it briefly. She wondered why she had kept it.) and a dress she saved for very special occasions. She had yet to find an appropriate occasion. She closed the closet and screamed when she saw someone standing behind her, clad entirely in black. He remained perfectly motionless, even though a breeze that rolled in through the open window. The hood of his cloak cast a shadow over his face.

"…Izayoi…Aki…?" He whispered the two words, but they seemed louder than the roar of a train.

"Wh…Who are you? Why are you here? How did you get in!" He never answered her question. He whispered something else to her, then turned and walked over to her window and placed one foot on the edge. "Where do you plan to go, you fool? We're on the fifth floor!" The man briefly looked back at her. She could have sworn she saw something glowing some shade of red. "Don't…be…late…" He leapt out the window and dropped out of sight, cloak trailing behind him. Aki rushed to the window and looked down just in time to watch a black shadow swoop down and catch him; and then he was gone. She stepped away from the window and slid it shut. That was perhaps the oddest experience she had ever had.

_Town center…noon…_

His words still rang in her ears…Whatever did he mean? She shrugged it off and proceeded to dress herself. She pulled fresh undergarments out from her dresser and slid them on quickly. Apparently orange was her color today. She quickly pulled on her usual outfit and was about to curl her bangs, also like usual, when there came a frantic knocking at her door. "Damn. I appear to be really popular today." She strode from her bedroom through the kitchen to the front door, and called "Who is it?"

The person on the other side seemed to be out of breath and in a rush. "Please, ma'am. I need your help. The city's in terrible danger." Aki unlocked her door and opened it enough to where she could see the man. He looked almost exactly like the freak that had leapt from her window, only this one was clad in white. It seemed like her emotions showed through to her face, as the man immediately said: "Oh, so you _have_ seen him. Could you tell me where he is?" She stuttered for a bit before se found he words to express herself. "Uhh…He broke into my apartment as I was getting out of the shower, spoke to me very briefly, and jumped out the window in my room. Why? Who are you people?" A look of surprise flashed across the man's face, but it was gone as quickly at it had come. "He spoke to you?" She nodded. "…So…You must be Izayoi Aki-san. Whatever he said to you, I'd suggest you listen to it. If you don't, he might just wipe this city off of the map. I'm not sure he's all there anymore. When he gets like this…" He trailed off. "If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I have a partner to catch." He ran off down the hall towards the stairs, and she watched the tail end of his vibrant cloak disappear into the floor and he hustled down the stairs, yelling the word "Black". Aki stood in the doorway, staring down the hall for some time afterwards wondering what had just happened. She shook her head and closed the door behind her as she walked back into her apartment.

_What was that? Who were those people? They almost looked like Dark Signers…Especially…_that_ one._ These thoughts kept swirling around in her head, ending up back on the hooded figure. Who was he? What did he want from _her_? How did he get into her room? The door was locked. She had to unlock it for the man who had knocked on her door. But he jumped out the _window_. She lived five floors up! What was that thing that caught him? It kind of looked like some sort of duel monster, but they didn't exist! Unless…

She placed her hand on her mark. It felt oddly warm. Could those two really be like her? Could they also materialize their monsters?

No…That couldn't be…Could it? The whole situation left her with an intense feeling of unease.

* * *

They had just built a new café not too far from Aki's apartment complex. Three blocks south, two blocks east. That's where Carly wanted to meet for lunch. Unfortunately, Jack had her going to the stadium on the other side of town and sent her back and forth trying to pick up the parts he needed. All the little things he used to ask Mikage to do he was now asking _her_. It was beginning to frustrate Aki. She was going to ask him to start paying her if he was going to make her his new secretary. Aki raced her Duel Runner in between pedestrians and cars, the loose cloth on her ensemble fluttering in the wind behind her as she continued to speed down the roads. The intercom that was built into her helmet began buzzing. It was not very loud, but it was loud enough to be hear over the thrumming of her Runner. She gently tapped the button on the side of her helmet and tried to speak clearly enough to be understood. "Izayoi Aki. What is it?" Carly was on the other end.

"Aki…I'm sorry, but we're going to have to postpone our date. Something really big is going down in Central Park. I need you to come here. Let the others know. Something about this is screaming 'Dark Signer'." Aki slammed on the brakes and pulled to a stop just outside her apartment. "What! I thought we got rid of them all!" Carly's voice seemed fainter. Apparently she had to pull the phone away from her ear to prevent herself from going deaf as Aki yelled into her headset. "I know, I know. You all keep telling me this, but I still don't remember _anything_ about it. Still…Some kind of shadowy apparitions have chased everyone out of Central Park. They're now standing guard at all the entrances, and even patrolling the skies. Aki…They look like dragons. You don't think that a dragon colony has come to settle in the city do you?" Aki was stunned. "Carly…You know that dragon's don't really exist, right?"

"I know, but if that's really the case: These are some pretty vicious birds. You'd better get down here quick. And _please_ let the others know." Aki was silent for a minute, deciding what she should do. "Alright. I'll alert the others. What entrance are you at?" There was silence, then a response dotted with static. "I'm in the clothing store not far from the northern entrance." I'll wait for you here." Aki nodded, and then remembered that Carly couldn't see her. "Got it. I'll be there shortly."

"Please hurry…" The phone clicked silent. Aki was forced back to reality by the sound of cars honking behind her and obscene names being shouted at her, along with other things. She gave them a display of her own and opened the throttle, zipping away before they could respond. She clicked open a communications channel on her headset that was designed to communicate specifically with the other signers' phone and broadcast her voice through the speaker. "Guys. It's Aki. I need you all to get to the clothing store near the northern entrance of Central Park. We…" Luca responded from her end. "Are we going shopping, Aki-san? Are you finally deciding to be more social and actually spend time with us?" Aki barely managed to hold her temper. _She's twelve…She's only twelve…_

"No, Luca…We're not going…shopping. We have possible Dark Signer activity. I'll meet you all there. Over." Aki sped up to the northern edge of the city and swung around the buildings, approaching the store from the north and doing her best to avoid detection. She broke through the perimeter that the Securities had set up, and they were about to pursue her before they were stopped by Tetsu Ushio. "Leave her be, men."

Aki screeched to a halt in front of the store and dismounted her Duel Runner. She set her helmet on the seat and, crouching, snuck up behind the car closest to the park and peered through the window. There were definitely shadowy figures perched in the middle of the walkway. Though she couldn't make them out clearly, they certainly _did_ appear to be some form of dragon. "Pretty creepy, isn't it?" The sudden break in the silence caused Aki to jump. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, Aki-chan." It was only Carly. Aki breathed a heavy sigh of relief and placed a hand across her heart. It was beating insanely fast. "Yeah, creepy…but…I've felt this feeling before. Earlier today, in my room. There was this guy…"

"Dressed in black?"

"He's in there?"

"Yup."

"Damn." Just feeling the energy emanating from the Central Park sent a chill down Aki's spine. It was dark and…what? She wasn't sure how it felt. Just…bad. It was bad. Something about it wasn't right. It was a twisted energy. The last time she had felt something like this was when…She gasped. She was well aware of how her fear displayed across her face. It caused Carly to panic as well. "What? What's wrong?"

"I…I recognize this feeling. The energy radiating from the park. It's almost the same as it was when I dueled Misty." Now Carly looked confused. "Misty? Do you mean Lola Misty?" Aki felt stupid for a fraction of a second. "Right…amnesia. Sorry." They heard a howling roar and the thunderous sound of an explosion. They both stood up and looked over the car to find one of the beasts swiftly following something that was hidden behind a line of trees. The roaring sound of a Duel Runner engine quickly became very apparent, as both Jack and Yusei roared past Aki and Carly with one of the beasts trailing behind them. As soon as it left the courtyard surrounding Central Park, it disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Jack and Yusei noticed that their pursuer had vanished and they slowed their bikes down, turned, and pulled up next to Aki and Yusei. Jack was the first to voice everyone's question. "What the hell was that?" His question remained unanswered. It was Yusei's turn to ask questions next. "Has anybody heard from Crow or Luca? Do you know where they are?"

"They're fine, Yusei." Crow's Duel Runner pulled up from behind with Luca riding shotgun. "Unlike you two idiots, I did the smart thing and skirted around the bad guys. You morons could've gotten yer asses fried by that thing." Crow and Luca climbed off of the Runner and tossed their helmets aside. "Hey, Luca. Where's Lua?"

"He got stuck in detention at the academy. He couldn't get out of it." Crow started laughing. "Hehehe…Ahhh…Oh, that kills me. The mighty Lua's gotten caught by his teachers. The arrogant little punk got cocky." Nobody else laughed. "Crow, keep you head on what's going on-AH!" Yusei yelped as the mark on his arm began to burn, searing through his jacket. "What…What's going on? It's never burned like…this…before!" He instinctively grabbed his arm in pain, slumping to the ground while the mark began to burn through his glove. Aki's arm began to glow next, followed by Jack, Crow, and finally Luca. Their marks began to smoke and sizzle, and the smell of burnt flesh began to fill the air. "Why…?"

There was a burst of brilliant light, and the marks (and the pain) vanished. "What was that?" Tears filled the corners of Luca's eyes. The pain had been almost too much for the young girl.

"Go…My part ends here. This is out of my hands now." The five Signers and Carly turned. Not ten feet away stood the man with the white cloak. Yusei's rage bubbled up. "Why are you dong this! What are you after!" The man raised his hand. "_I_ am not after anything. It is my partner you seek. We were sent here on a mission to stop a calamity from happening in the near future. One that could change history _and_ the world. My cohort merely seeks a duel with the legendary Black Rose Witch…One Izayoi Aki-san. As much as I detest his methods, they appear to be quite effective. I don't think Miss Izayoi would have shown up under any other circumstances. You five who were in agony…You are the legendary Signers, yes?" They nodded.

"How do you know about us? I find your story very suspicious." Jack glared at his through squinted eyes. A gentle breeze ruffled the man's cloak. "It is our job to know about anything and everything that has to do with the timeline. Thousands of years ago, in ancient Egypt, when the magic of Duel Monsters was very much real, our organization was a group that served directly beneath the Pharaoh. We fought against the demon Zorc Necrophades in his campaign against everything. We had almost lost. We would have; had it not been for our mighty Pharaoh and our gods. With the power of the three gods combining into the almighty Horakhty, Zorc Necrophades was vanquished. Ever since, our select group has been assigned to protect the timeline from any fluctuations or disturbances." He reached up and slowly pulled back his hood. His skin was tanned and he had a large scar, as if he had had a blade of some kind dragged across his face. Emblazoned upon his forehead was a symbol that neither of them had ever seen before in their lives. It appeared to be an ancient eye symbol. The symbol of the Millennium. He pointed to his scar. "Not all of us…escaped unscathed."

"Hold on…You said that you were here to prevent something from happening. What did you mean?" Crow couldn't take his eyes off of the symbol on the man's forehead. "One of our superior leaders believed that Duel Monster should have never been created. That is was cursed thousands of years ago, and that it is cursed now. He seeks to steal one of your Dragons of Legend cards to use it to go back in time and prevent Pegasus J. Crawford from recreating the game. We cannot allow this to happen, as time would alter the timeline horribly." His black hair swayed gently in the breeze. His blue eyes were extremely clear and focused. They were not the eyes of a madman. "Which dragon does he need?"

"We do not know at this time."

"But what about your partner. He seems pretty unstable." Aki looked backed at the park. A pitch-black fog had swallowed it so that it was impossible to see inside. "He is fine. Duel him and he will calm down. I have worked with him forever. This is the only time he's ever acted like this. He never even speaks. I suspect that he only wants to acknowledge you, Aki, as a true duelist. You do not yet know it, but he relates you to himself more than anyone. He's just like you. He grew up in fear. He would have been executed by the country, but he used his most precious card and fought off the entire Pharaoh's army when they came for him. In spite of this, he saved us all in the Great War, and we admitted him into our ranks. Just like you all, we both own a dragon of legend; though ours are much older. Looking at the stats, mine is much stronger; but the way he handles his…It's like it is part of him. I would not be surprised if it actually was a part of him. Now go. We've wasted enough time. I'll be looking over you all. Should things get out of hand, I will step in and fend him off so that you all can escape. He cannot kill me."

Crow laughed at him, long and heartily. "And how do you expect us to get in there with those nasties killing anything within a hundred feet of the place?" The man walked over to Yusei, to which Crow didn't understand, and placed a gentle hand on the smooth surface of his Duel Disk. He slid his hand to the deck, which began to glow a beautiful white, and drew a card. It was Stardust Dragon.

"Trust yourselves to the Dragons. They will protect you." He handed the card back to Yusei. "Hurry." The wind picked up into a gale, and the man vanished; his voice echoing on the wind. _I will be watching you._ The five Signers looked at each other. "Well…I guess we should go…" Again, Crow butted in. "What the hell do you mean 'We', Aki? I don't know if you've forgotten, but I don't have a dragon! Those things'll eat me alive!"

"Then stay here with Carly. I'm sure she doesn't want to be left alone. Besides…He wants me. Not you." He stopped and looked at her, then at Carly. "Ummm…Alright. I guess that works. I'll wait for you all here. Good luck…And take care, all right?" He turned to Carly. "Come on Nagisa-san. Let's get into the building. It'll be safer there." He took Carly by the shoulders and carefully led her inside and out of the way of danger. Aki turned to the other three who remained with her. "How many of you want to come with me? I would be…grateful…for your company." They looked amongst each others quickly. Yusei stepped forward and placed a still-smoldering glove on her shoulder. "Aki…We're all in this together. We stand together, or not at all."

"…Thank you, Yusei…"

* * *

The fog loomed before them like a great barrier that would not allow them to pass. Aki took a deep breath and stepped in first. The others were not far behind her. There was a load roar and the ground shook beneath them. None of them could see far enough ahead to see what had caused the ground to shake. Luca clung to Yusei in fear. "Can anybody see it?"

"…No…" Jack was hesitant to answer and kept his hand on his duel disk. Out of the darkness loomed a gigantic figure, darker than the fog itself. The most prominent figure was its glowing red eyes. Aki raised her duel disk to it and her deck began to glow a brighter enough shade of black that the others could see it through the fog. "Begone, shade, and allow us passage." The glow from her deck got bright enough to the point where it felt like they should close their eyes; then, with an explosion of black light, her Black Rose Dragon appear before her. The shade vanished and the fog lifted slightly. Enough so that they could see where they were going. Together, they slowly treaded the path to the obelisk that stood at the center of the park. "All right. I'm here. Where are you? You wanted to duel me?" There was no response. "Aki…try attacking his pride." Jack was working under the assumption that the cloaked figure was like him. Hell…It was worth a shot.

"Do you fear me? Is that why you refuse to show yourself? You go out of your way to summon me here and to make sure that I come, yet you do not reveal yourself to your foe? Does the legacy of the Black Rose Witch scare you!"

"…Silence…"

The voice came from behind them all and caused them to jump. Aki turned and, sure enough, the man clad in the black cloak stood between them and their way out. "Here I am. What do you want with me?" The wind whipped up around them and made escape impossible. The creatures of shadow appeared to be pulled back into the man. Slowly, the right side of his cloak lifted and was brushed to the side. A Duel Disk was mounted on his arm. He grabbed it and pulled his deck out, shuffling it. Aki got his drift and did the same. When they finished, he walked over to her holding out his deck and his empty palm. She didn't understand what he wanted.

"…Formalities…"

As if by magic, that one word seemed to tell her what he was doing. He was offering his deck to her to shuffle, and that he wished to shuffle hers. To prevent stacking their decks. She cautiously placed her deck in his empty palm and received his deck in turn. They spent about ten second shuffling each other's decks in the dense fog before returning them to their owners. Aki placed hers in her disk, and the man did the same. A whirlwind began to pick up around them, sucking the fog in and dispersing it. For the first time, Aki got a clear look at the man's duel disk. The main body was shaped like a dragon's head. It looked so familiar, but she could not remember where she had seen it before. His deck was placed in the dragon's mouth, and it looked as though the Graveyard was just below the deck. The two plates that hooked together to form the field were in the shape of dragon's wings; but that head. She knew she had seen it somewhere before. The history book at the academy? Could that have been it? The whirlwind evolved into a full-blown tornado surrounding them.

"…You…first…"

Aki drew six cards and observed her starting hand, which consisted of 'Wall of Thorns', 'Torrential Tribute', 'Twilight Rose Knight', 'Tytannial, Princess of Camillas', 'Lord Poison', and 'Thorn of Malice'. She thought her moves through and decided to save her dragon for later. "All right. I start off by summoning my "Twilight Rose Knight" and by activating its effect, I Special Summon my "Lord Poison" to the field in attack position. I'll end my turn by setting two cards face-down. I pass my turn to you.

Aki: 8000LP

?: 8000LP

He drew a card and wasted no time in making his move. To the field, he summoned a small black dragon to the field. "Now…Tremble, Black Rose…" His little dragon began to glow and began to grow in size. In a burst of light, his little dragon caused Aki great fear. She now remembered where she had seen that dragon. A fabled dragon of immense power and supreme versatility. The fabled Red-Eyes Black Dragon, said to have once belonged to a duelist named Katsuya Jonouchi. Its large black wings spread wide as it settled to the ground. Its elegant, slender, skeletal appearance gave it a truly frightening appearance. Its eyes reflected power. In seeing such a legendary dragon, she panicked; and missed her chance to activate her face-down "Torrential Tribute". "…Now…" He took a card out of his hand and showed it to her, though she was unable to read it. "…Go, my beloved dragon…Inferno Fire Blast!" Flames began to spew out the sides of the dragon's mouth as it slowly opened its mouth and spat out a raging ball of flames that struck Aki at full force, causing her to scream in pain. It shocked her to find that her clothes were actually burning. It must have been that spell…and what was that attack? This doesn't seem like the shadow duels I'm used to, but I really felt that attack.. He set one card down and ended his turn. She knew she had to put that dragon down as soon as she could. She put out the flames and stood up. "Draw."

Aki: 5600LP

?: 8000LP

Aki's hand now contained her 'Tytannial', 'The World Tree', and a 'Copy Plant'. "Now…Behold a TRUE dragon. 'Twilight Rose Knight' and 'Lord Poison'. I tune them together…" Her 'Rose Knight' vanished and 'Lord Poison' began to change. "…To bring in my trump card: the Black Rose Dragon!" Her dragon burst forth with a mighty roar, as if it wanted to protect her. The petals that lined its body fluttered as the gale of the cyclone grew stronger. "Feel the wrath of my dragon! Eliminate everything, my dragon!" The dragon exploded into a shower of rose petals and smoke. Aki laughed at her opponent through the smoke. "How is your precious dragon when it's been destroyed?" It took the smoke clearing to notice that her dragon was the only thing missing. "What!" He flipped his one face-down card, 'Divine Wrath'. Aki almost felt her heart stop. He had shut down her dragon. Nobody had ever done that before. Not only that; but she was now left wide open, and had no choice but to end her turn.

He drew, and held up another spell card. This one she knew: 'Heavy Storm'. Aki watched as her lifelines were blown away and his dragon began to morph again. This time, the behemoth lost its arms, but its wings grew in size and its body grew blacker. Red markings began to appear on its body and more black fog began to settle in around them, almost hiding the new dragon completely. She knew that the beast had gotten worse. Its attack points grew from 2400 to 3000. The new dragon settled to the ground and lurched forward, assuming a quadrupedal stance by folding its wings and substituting them for its now absent forelegs. He summoned another dragon. One that she was unfamiliar with. It appeared to be all muscle covered with armor plating and wings made of bone. Both of his monsters attacked her directly. Aki growled in frustration at both his luck and his apparent ability to be able to shut down all her combos. It was her turn.

Aki: 1100LP

?: 8000LP

Aki placed her hand on her deck, pleading for anything that could help her defeat her opponent. She drew. 'Fragrance Storm'. That was it. She couldn't do anything. She was helpless. "I…end my turn…" She slumped to the ground, hanging her head, and waited for the blast she knew was coming. The blast that would finish her off, and would probably end her life. "I…lost…" Tears almost began welling up inside of her. "Why…?" She stood up and looked at her opponent. "Why are you so strong? How could you shut me out so quickly? Why is there such a difference in our level of skill? He said nothing until after he made his draw. He added the card to his hand and lowered both of his arms to his side. They disappeared beneath his cloak. For the first time, he spoke in a tone louder than a whisper. "You want to know why, Aki? Do you really?" He reached up for his hood and gripped it lightly, he hesitated. "The reason you cannot defeat me, Izayoi Aki, is…" He lowered his hood and the gale of the cyclone reached its climax. His cloak fluttered wildly in the gale before coming loose and getting whipped away. The man's blonde hair whipped around in the gale. His crisp, blue eyes were so sharp that they seemed to cut through her. They were surrounded by rings of black. Unlike his partner, his flesh was unmarred and perfect. He did not appear as if he had gone through the same war that they had allegedly experienced. "…That you have not bonded with your cards enough. The bond I share with my Red-Eyes Black Dragon is unshakable. It saved my life back in Egypt, and it helped me save the lives of many others. Neither of us would be whole without the other."

"Why did you come after me?"

"Because we are the same, Aki. We grew up in solitude…Alone…Like I have bonded with my dragon, you have bonded with yours. The difference between us is that our bond is centuries old. Yours is not even 20. My Red-Eyes and I have fought through wars together. I will give you credit, though. You managed to stop one of the Earthbound Immortals created by our enemy, Zorc Necrophades. But you can't beat me. I'm sorry, Aki. You tried valiantly; but we have guidelines for our duels. Those who lose, die."

"A shadow duel?"

"Yes. Now!" His eyes began to glow a vibrant red, the same as his dragons'. "Wait! Can't you do something! You seem reasonable! Isn't there anything you can do to interrupt the duel?"

"No…There is nothing I can do." He bowed his head. "Forgive me, my descendant." Several flashes of light caused Aki to go blind temporarily. When she regained her sight, she saw that her friends were standing between her and her opponent, their dragons before them."

"We won't let you harm our friend! Your rules state that the loser of a one-on-one or a tag duel shall die, but how about a four-on-one? We're stepping in." The light cast upon the man caused him to step back briefly, but he held his ground. "Do not tempt me, Fudo Yusei!" The light became dark all of a sudden as three more dragons appeared. One of them looked like the pitch-black dragon that had caused Aki to collapse, only it appeared to be rotting away. The third looked like the first two, only made entirely of a metallic substance. The fourth looked like his signature Red-Eyes, only plated in steel. You all may have four of the five Dragons of Legend, but my Red-Eyes outnumber and out power your monsters! Behold! A magic circle appeared around the first metallic dragon and, as it stepped outside of the circle, his Red-Eyes Black Dragon materialized within. "Stand down! This was my test for my great-descendant, and I have deemed that she failed!"

"That is not yours to judge, 41." A brilliant flash of white, brighter than that cast by the legendary Synchros, enveloped them all and destroyed all but one of the man's dragons. The pitch-black one remained. From the heavens above drifted down the man who dressed in white on the back of his Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. Its elegant, flawless wings beat effortlessly against the gale. "You know full-well that you can call your duel off." The man called '41' growled at him. "Stay out of this, 16! This is not your duel!"

"You made it my duel when you synchronized yourself with that Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon of yours!" It was only when '16' said this that Yusei noticed how 41's dragon was also looking up. Its gaze appeared to follow the gaze of its owner. "Whenever you synchronize yourself with your dragons, you always lose yourself to them! The way I see it now, the bond you share with them is manipulative on their part! No…It is not your dragons…They…they grieve for you. What has happened to you?" The circles around 41's eyes began to glow black, and they seemed to suck in the light from the Blue-Eyes. "How did I not see it before? Shinji! Where are you? Release him at once!" There was an odd laugh the resonated as if they were deep within the confines of a cave. "_Now why would I do something as foolish as that? He makes quite a good puppet._" The words came from 41's mouth, though it was not his voice. "_You have grown too complacent, 16. You assume that your dragon of light can defeat the dragons of the dark. The bond that they share with this human shall result in your defeat time…after time…after time._" The figure of a human slowly materialized behind 41, though not completely. He remained nothing but a shade.

"None _of you shall stop my quest. These beasts were a curse in Egypt, and they're a curse now. I shall obtain that Stardust Dragon, and I will murder Pegasus. Now perish!_" Yusei's heart skipped a beat. _Paradox! But we stopped him! _41's deck appeared to suck in all the light around it. Everything was going dark. "_This is one of my cards, but I think I'll let this pawn borrow it for a little while. Prepare yourselves. You have two turns to live. Field Spell: Mausoleum of the Emperor._" He set three cards face-down and ended his turn. "_One left._" His deck seemed to fade away into the void of black that spiraled into it. The Signers and 16 all drew a card and set one Spell/Trap card each. The four Dragon Synchros and the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon against a man whose power was still unknown. They attacked.

"_Hahahaha! Impudent fools! So careless! Vanish!"_ He tripped one of his face-down cards. Mirror Force. "You're the fool, Shinji!" Yusei had to yell to be heard over the raucous noise of the whirlwind. "Stardust Dragon, special effect!" Shinji tripped another of his trap cards: another Divine Wrath. He discarded a single card from his hand, bolts of static leapt around the dragon briefly, and it exploded. The other monsters exploded into billions of tiny white particles and vanished into the air after it. They ended their turn. At least he only had one monster; but they still shared Aki's life points. 1100. That Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon had 4200 attack points. One of those face-down cards had better be worth something. "_My turn. Bid yourselves farewell!_" He drew a card. "_From my hand: _'_Axe of Despair_'_!_" 5200 attack. "_Go, mighty dragon! Vanquish our foes!_" The dragon opened its mouth and spat an enormous ball of flames. 16 tripped his trap. "Magic Cylinder!" The blast was absorbed into one of the purple cylinders and a large blast was launched back at 41/Shinji. He grunted as it hit him full-force. _"Is that the best you can do? You're pathetic, 16!_" He had no choice but to end his turn. Draw. Jack and Luca both set a monster while Yusei summoned Junk Synchron, tributing it to special summon his Turret Warrior. They ended. 16 had one more trap card on the field. If it didn't reflect an attack, they were royally screwed. Shinji laughed. "_You are such fools! Leaving yourselves wide open!_" He drew and attacked Jack's set monster…and tripped another trap. 'Dragon's Rage'. "_Begone, fools!_"

"You have lost, Shinji. It is true that 41's bond with the Red-Eyes will always defeat us. However; that is when _he_ is in control. You do not share that bond with them. And that is why _you_ will always lose lose. Activate trap card!" 16's last trap was Dimensional Wall. Shinji screamed as he took the intended damage; and 41 fell to his knees and slumped to the ground, freed of the monster that held his mind. The whirlwind and the rings around his eyes vanishing as proof of that.

16 ran to his side, scooped up the cards that hand fallen to the ground when he collapsed, and hefted his friend over his shoulder after placing them back in his deck. He turned to the four Signers. "Would any of you mind letting him use your bed for a while? I don't know how long he's been possessed. Young Luca was the only one who stepped forward. "You can use our house, sir. Lua and I were the only ones who really lived there; but we're staying at the academy dorms right now." Yusei put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do that, Luca? The man just hurt Aki and tried to kill us!" She hung her head.

"I know…but…Ancient Fairy Dragon is telling me to trust them…and that it's best to forgive and forget. The shadow-man said that he wanted your Stardust Dragon. Maybe those two can help you protect it." Aki, struggling to remain on her feet, grasped Yusei's wrist lightly and shook her head. Yusei removed his hand. "If you're sure…then I won't try to stop you. I just hope that you're choice is the right one."


	2. Meeting the Twins

The morning air was cold. Almost bitterly so. The man with dusty blond hair woke with a start, huffing heavily. _Wh…where am…I…?_ He lay there, motionless, trying to remember the events of yesterday. They were nothing but a blur. He remembered hearing the name Izayoi Aki, then…nothing. Everything until now was completely gone, like pages missing from a book. He painfully forced himself into a sitting position. It felt as though he had been through Hell and back, and he knew the sensation immediately. The bastard Shinji had used him as a puppet…again! This made his blood boil, and he clenched his fists in anger. "…Damn…!" The night stood silent as dawn quietly cut the darkness.

He almost fell out of the bed as he tried to stand, eventually gaining his balance. He fumbled around the wall searching for the light switch, and tripped over his duel disk in the process and hit the floor hard, swearing under his breath. He propped himself up on his elbows, grumbling, and rolled over onto his back so he could get back up. He grabbed his duel disk and crawled to his feet as he attached it securely to his left arm. The door creaked open, and a young girl with vibrant green hair poked her head in. "Oh! You're awake." She turned around and yelled down what appeared to be a hallway. "Lua! Come in here and gimme a hand!" She reached over and flipped the switch that he had sought, blinding him with the sudden burst of light. He grunted, putting his hand between him and the source of the light source and casting a shadow across his face. The door opened and she walked in; trying to offer help, although clearly frightened of him. A young boy who also had vibrant green hair, but a different hair style, followed her in while rubbing his eyes. They appeared extremely tired and their clothes were a mess, almost as though they had been up all night trying to care for him. He couldn't imagine why anyone would do that for him, though.

"Here, let me help you into the living room…" She held a hand out to him, but he brushed it away. "…I don't need…help. Especially from…you." He walked past her and bumped into Lua on his way out. Lua turned. "Hey, watch it! At least apologize!" Luca placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't start. Not now." The twins followed him.

"Here. Please, sit down…" Luca motioned to a chair. "…You can't be feeling too good right now." She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Without his cloak, he almost looked…cute. He looked at her, with those blue eyes of his. He looked almost puzzled. "…No…Thank you." He walked towards the door, and she grabbed him by the arm. "You're hurt. You shouldn't go anywhere, yet. Please…Just stay here until Yusei and the other come back…" He looked at her again; she couldn't take her eyes off of his. He growled. "…Fine…" He sat down in the chair.

"Would you like anything to eat?" He was silent. "Toast? Waffles? Eggs?" Silence. "Oh, come on. You MUST be hungry. You haven't eaten in days!" Still nothing. Luca put on a pouty face.

"You know…" The voice came from the restroom in the back hall. "You made a bad enough first impression. You're not making it easy to forgive you."

"Shut it, Lua. I already said that it wasn't his fault." He laughed as he stepped into the main room. "And _I_ said that I didn't care. He must be a pretty sad excuse for a person if he's getting possessed THAT easily." She hit him. "Like you would do better."

"Of course I would! I'm Lua, and I'm gonna be the best duelist in the world!" He pointed at 41. "Remember it!" He didn't even turn. "I don't care…who you are. You are…nothing. Utterly…insignificant." Luca had to hit Lua again to put him in line as the youth lunged for him. "Oh! Where are my manners? Here I am, trying to tend to your wounds; and I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Luca, sir. It's nice to meet you." She gave him a quick curtsy, but he fell silent once more. She gave him a pouty look. "You could at least tell us your name. I get it, you don't like to talk; but it's still polite to introduce yourself."

"…I don't have a name…" This confused Luca, but intrigued her at the same time. "What do you mean by you 'don't have a name?' You've gotta have a name!"

"I am…41. That's the only 'name' I've ever known."

"You have to have a name! Everybody does!" He shook his head. "Well…Then we'll GIVE you a name! How about…Seiji?" He looked her in the eye, and she felt her heart race again. "I'm not Japanese…"

"Xavier?"

"…No…"

"Nikolaus?"

"…I'm not…German…"

"How about Takashi? Would that be alright?" 41 said nothing for a minute, he didn't even look at her. "Just…stop. I don't need…a name…"

Lua couldn't help but butt in. "I know! Iabi!" He obviously knew what it meant, as he sniggered uncontrollably. 41 gave him a glare that would scare the devil. "Call me that…again, boy…" Luca hit them both. 41 didn't even seem to notice, Lua cried out. "Owww! Stop that already! That freakin' hurts!" She shooed him back to his room, then came back and resumed her efforts.

"I'm sorry about him. Hmmm…Let's see…A good _Egyptian_ name…How about…"

"If you…insist on giving me…a name…the only one that…I would accept…would be…Kamenwati."

"Alright! From now on, you're Kamenwati. So, would you like anything to eat?" He shook his head. Luca noticed how his hair was slowly fading from the blonde of yesterday to white and laid flat against his head; parting naturally down the middle and flopping lazily to either side, as though that wasn't how he normally wore it and gravity had dragged it down after whatever held it in place had worn out. It looked out of place against his darker skin, but it was kind of fetching in a way. Luca sat down across from him. "Well…what are we supposed to do, then?" She couldn't take her eyes off of him. It looked like he worked out. Not too terribly often, but just enough to keep in shape. He had muscle, but not too much. It looked as if he knew well where the boundaries of 'sexy-fit' and 'crazy-repulsive' were, with him clearly classified as sexy-fit. Combined with his sleeveless black shirt, dark grey cargo pants, and black combat boots; it gave him a look as though he were a big-shot in the military. The iris of his eyes had a red glow to them. He had the same mark as his partner, the Millennium symbol, branded on his forehead. Luca's heart skipped a beat when she looked at him.

_Ohh…He's really cute! _She closed her eyes and tried to rein in her feelings. She took normal breaths, trying to look as though she were only resting her eyes. _Oh…It's no use! But I wasn't expecting anything like this until I was at least 14! Well…what am I supposed to do? Y'know…I wonder what he…No…No; he'd never…Not me. I mean, he's like…what? 20? 30?_

"…I'm…sixteen, physically. Or…seventeen, depending…on who you ask." Luca's heart almost stopped. Had she said that out loud? No. She was sure she didn't! "What…did you just…say…?" His glared sent shiver down her spine. "I didn't…stutter…" Luca blushed profusely and hid her face in her hands out of embarrassment. "How? How did you know what I was thinking?" He tapped at the side of his head with his index and middle fingers. "Oh my God…I'm so sorry! It just popped in there! Ohhhh…You must think so poorly of me!" She trailed off into sputtered, incoherent apologies. Kamenwati did not even try to comfort her; he just sat there and watched, mildly amused at her seeming idiocy.

_Ooooh! No-no-no-no! He can hear me! What do I do? Oh, I'm so embarrassed! I could just die!_

"…It means…nothing…I…despise people…" This did little to calm her down. She continued to panic until curiosity hit her like a train. "Answer my question. How can you hear my thoughts?" He shrugged. "…Just can…Always been able to…" She blushed again, but not as much as the last time. _Why not? _"Well, then…I guess I should…ummm…What I mean is…Maybe…Would you not be against…going to a movie later…together?" She couldn't take her eyes off of the floor; her heat was beating wildly. _I can't believe it! I actually just _asked him out_! _He spoke, his voice still no more than a whisper. "…Not a chance…" Luca felt disappointed and relieved at the same time. Disappointed that he said 'no'; relieved that she knew she was simply infatuated with the guy and that they could get the matter cleared up. "…Tell me…" He got up an walked to the window that overlooked the city. Luca noticed that he had a slight limp to his walk. Maybe he was still in pain? "…What…happened? How did I…get here? What did Shinji…make me do?" Luca filled him in on what had happened; never taking her eyes off of the floor; whether it was out of sorrow or if she just could look him in the eye was unclear.

"…And that's what happened. You've been unconscious for about four days. Your partner, who said his name is 'Zuka,' is out looking for this 'Shinji' guy right now." Kamenwati said nothing for a while, he only gazed upon Luca. "So…you and your brother have been…tending to me?" She nodded. "Yeah…" He stood up. "…Come…Let us retrieve my cloak…and…find your…friends…I must apologize…" She nodded, her pigtails bobbing gently. "Yeah. That's a good idea. Lemme go tell Lua where we're going. I'll be right back." She ran into the back and knocked on Lua's door.

"Whaddaya want, Luca?" He spoke before he opened the door. His hair was down and fluttered loosely. "Kamenwati and I are going down to the city park to see if we can find his cloak and the other Signers." Lua didn't seem to care about that. "Why are you being so nice to this guy, Luca? He tried to hurt Aki-san and the others! He almost killed you!" Luca avoided eye contact with her brother. "Well…I…" Luca's heart sank when she saw the pained realization dawn on her brother's face. "Wait…Do you…like this guy?"

"Of course I like him," she said. "He's a nice guy…kinda…" Lua gripped her by the shoulders. "Luca…You know what I mean! Do you _like_ him?" She brushed his hands off. "That's none of your business, Lua." He smacked his palm into his forehead and dragged it down his face, mumbling to himself the whole time. "Luca…why? How? How could you fall for someone like _him_?" She began to shyly trace her foot in circles on the floor, leaving faint trails in the carpet. "I…I don't know. I just did, alright?" He grabbed her shoulders again, only much harder this time. "Luca, I can't in good conscious let you do this! He tried to kill you! And Yusei! And the others!"

"He didn't try to kill us, Lua! I told you that! He was possessed!"

"And I still don't care! What if he gets possessed again! You can't do that! I forbid it! That rotten piece of scum will-" She slapped him. Hard. His hands left her shoulders and instinctively rose to the bright red mark on his face. He was utterly stunned. She stood there, wide-eyed at what she'd done. Her hand had seemed to move of its own accord. _She…She _hit_ me! I mean, I'm used to her hitting me when I screw around, but…SHE _HIT_ ME!_ A stunned silence passed between them; Lua unable to grasp the concept of being struck, and Luca (whose hand still hung limply in the air) upset, angered, and shocked. "L…Luca…" Tears silently ran down her cheeks. "Don't you EVER tell me what to do or who I can fall for again, Lua! It's none of your business." She turned to leave, but hesitated halfway through, not looking at her brother. "We're going to the park, now." She began to walk down the hallway, back towards the living room. She stopped again, sniffling, and then turned to him, wiping her eyes. "Lua…I think it's best that you go back to the academy now…I don't think I'll be joining you anytime soon." There was a ferocity in her eyes that frightened him. Perhaps he'd gone too far. He called out to her as she walked away and left him standing in the doorway, alone, still holding the throbbing red spot on his cheek.

…_Luca…Why…_him_?_

* * *

The city was bustling with people today; chatting, laughing, having fun. It made Kamenwati feel even more like an outsider than he already felt. He already felt like he was less than human and every citizen except the young girl leading him through the city ignoring him was making him feel like he was less than that. No one even looked at him, let alone greeted him. The sky was clear and almost beautiful; not a cloud to be seen. Perfect picnic weather. He looked at the young girl who guided him to the city park, her green hair swaying gently in the wind. The girl who everybody acknowledged and greeted, as though they had known her forever. The only person outside of Zuka who had treated him as a friend, instead of a monster and an enemy. Why? She was different from them, so why did they treat her so well when he was different and was treated like a mindless beast because of it? "Tell me, Luna…" She turned to face him, not once breaking pace.

"It's Luca. Not Luna. There's no 'n' in my name." She sounded slightly annoyed. Perhaps she was fed up of that mistake being made?

"…Sorry…Tell me…Luca…Do you ever feel…alone?" Her golden eyes showed confusion. "What do you mean?" He hesitated a beat before speaking again. "…I mean that…you're…different…from everybody else…Doesn't that make you feel…lonely…? Isolated from…society?" She shook her head, still walking backwards. It was astounding how she could do that. "No. Not really. I have Yusei-san and the others. On occasion I wonder why I got dragged into the Crimson war, still being a child and all. Other than that, I feel…pretty normal." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "You were treated poorly _because_ you were different when you were a child, weren't you?" Nothing. "Even though they treated you like that, you still came to your people's aid when they needed you? Didn't they start to treat you better after that? I mean, they _did_ let you into your organization."

"…No…My Red-Eyes and I…We saved Egypt and…were treated worse for it…Even though we…saved their lives. Only Zuka thought…that I…should join the…Pharaoh's Guard…because of it. The others…feared that I would…turn against them. Zuka's…brother…was a higher-up, so…they had no say…But still…" He saw the sorrow and the pity in her beautiful eyes. "That's horrible! I'm so sorry to hear about that! Zuka…He's your only friend, isn't he?" His silence told her the whole story. Zuka _was_ his only friend, and had been his only friend for thousands of years. It was no wonder that Kamenwati didn't like people; and Luca felt as though she thought less of them now, after hearing of their true colors.

"Why? Why did they hate you so much?" He looked away. "Because…My dragon was known as…'The Devil's Dragon'. They thought…that I was…the incarnation of Satan…because I bonded so closely with…the Red-Eyes. My telepathy…only added to…their hatred…Even the all-loving…Pharaoh Atem…despised me…deep…down…" She definitely thought less of people now. "They treated you like a monster because of a card! That's despicable!" She leapt at him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. She spoke softly, bordering sensually, in his ear. "I'll be your friend, Kamenwati. Nobody should ever have to suffer through that like you did. Nobody should live forever with only a single friend." People were finally looking at him, though not in any way he'd wanted.

_Who's that man with that young girl! Despicable..._

_Damn pedophile. The authorities _must_ be notified_.

_That can't be decent!_

_Trying to seduce a child! That beast!_

The harsh thoughts came fast and hard, blurring together into a single word that he was all too familiar with. Monster. People who didn't even know him were judging him, based only upon actions that were not even his. Luca seemed to feel his anger, and tenderly let him go. She backed up a bit. "The people…They were thinking bad things about that, weren't they?"

"Why…?" His gaze dropped to the ground. "Why…are you being…so nice to…me? Your brother…was right. I hurt you…so why?" The sorrow in his voice was almost tangible. Honestly, she didn't know. "I…I dunno. At first, I guess it was out of pity. Now, though…I just don't want you to be alone any more. Nobody deserves that. Will you let me? Be your friend?" She extended her hand, but her brushed it away without hesitation.

"Let's…just get…to the park…No more…distractions." She nodded. "Sure…I'm sorry…"

A shadow seemed to fall over him, and he said nothing the rest of the way. Only brooding.

* * *

Izayoi Aki strolled quietly through Central Park. The birds sang their sweet songs while the squirrels ran around playfully, going about their usual ferreting of seeds. Surprisingly, not a single other person was present. Perhaps nobody had come here since the one called '41' had trashed it. She found a nice shady tree not twenty feet away. The day was warm, the breeze was nice. Aki felt the sudden urge to take a quick nap. She had been so busy lately that she hadn't had too much time to herself. She actually had all day to relax. He slipped her shoes off and stretched out underneath the tree, hands laying on top of each other on her stomach, feeling the slightly sharp touch of the grass on her feet. It felt good. Peaceful. She closed her eyes, searching for sleep, but found only discomfort. Her mind kept wandering back to_that_ day.

_Forgive me…my descendant…_

That man had called her his descendant. Was he really her ancestor? Or was it simply a trick composed by Shinji to shake her up? If he ever recovered, she'd ask him. This was going to bug the hell out of her until she found the truth. The leaves in the tree swayed silently in the gentle breeze. A leaf fell from the tree and landed gently on her face. She brushed it off and lazily placed her hands behind her head. She lay there, cradling her head and looking up into the tree. Her brown eyes filled with doubt and curiosity. _Why did he want me, anyways? Why would Shinji want to attack me like he did? He said that he was after Yusei's Stardust Dragon, not my Black Rose…Did he think that I would get in the way? That's probably it. He's probably going to try to take out all of us before he goes after Yusei. Jack, Crow, Luca, and I. All of us are standing in his way. Not to mention those two Egyptians…Or…Maybe he's not after the Stardust Dragon at all. Maybe he's trying to shake us ALL up by acting like that guy from a while back! Maybe..._ She finally felt sleep begin to take her into its blissful embrace, and passed unknowingly into slumber before she could even finish her thought. The man in black haunted her dreams lately. He was all she could think of…day or night. Crow had caught on to this, and had jokingly suggested that she had fallen in love with the man during their duel. Maybe he had been partially right… Aloof and arrogant as he was, Crow was always a sharp one. Either way, that wasn't her style anymore. Not since the other night…

* * *

The sun burned high in the cloudless, brilliant blue sky. The temperature was a tad bit on the excessively warm side, but not by much. It was the perfect day to be outside and spending time with your friends. Too bad for Aki that her apartment had become a pig's sty and she had to spend the day inside cleaning house. She had the windows open, with several of her potted plats sitting in the sill and enjoying the time in the sunlight that they were allotted. She had music playing fairly loudly while she worked. An old American band, called "Linkin Park". Nobody seemed to know who they were anymore, but she found their music enjoyable. It seemed to be full of pain and sorrow, just like she had been. Perhaps that is why she enjoyed it so. She had just finished tidying up her bedroom, dreading having to move on to her entertainment room, when her phone began to ring. The sound was muffled, and Aki realized that she must have swept it up with the rest of the junk that was lying around her room. But where did she end up putting it? She did a quick sweep of the room and found it amongst the pile of dirtied clothes that needed to be washed. She turned her music down a bit and pressed the "Talk" button and held the phone up to her ear. "Izayoi Aki. Who is this?"

"Aki-san? It's Carly. Hey, I was wondering…We never got to have lunch yesterday, did we? Are you free today? Would you mind?" Aki looked at her clock. "Uhh…What time were you thinking? It's already 12:30."

"Well…I was thinking about having dinner at the playhouse across town. Does that sound good?" Aki pulled the phone away from her ear briefly to think about it. "Sure. I've never had dinner and a show before. Do you want me to dress date-formal, or date-casual?" There was a slight squeal on the other end of the line. "Date-fancy! I want to see you when you're all made up and beautified. See you at about 6:00, then?"

"Of course. Hey…Carly-san…Before you hang up, I want to say something. If you're going to try anything, it's going to have to be at your place. Or somewhere where you're _sure_ that nobody will find us. We clear?" Carly was silent for a moment, like she hadn't expected Aki to be so blunt as to directly address the topic of where she'd be willing to have sex. "Uhhh…Yeah. We're clear. I'll see you in a couple hours." There was a faint click as she hung up, and Aki hung up on her end as well. She imagined what it might feel like, to have another woman on her…_in_ her. Her body tingled at the thought, almost saying that it wanted the experience. Aki found herself kind of hoping that Carly would try something. If not today, then soon. Aki wondered if she was turning completely into a lesbian. At first she was merely curious and willing to experiment, but now she seemed to crave the body of another woman. The idea of being a lesbian scared her somewhat. It was a whole new idea. A whole new experience. She casually leaned against the door to her bedroom, still holding the phone. She looked at the screen, reading Carly's number. She smirked. _Oh, well. If I am, I am. There's no helping it. I suppose that I'll get used to it eventually._ She thought more on the idea, tapping the phone gently against her teeth, until a grin that seemed almost wicked spread across her lips. "Yeah…Let's give it a shot. Why the hell not?"

Aki grabbed the pile of clothes and unceremoniously tossed them into the washing room. She started to clean up her entertainment room to pass the time, but decided that she had better put clothes on first. Aki had a dirty little habit of walking around her apartment in the nude when she was certain that nobody was coming over…So basically all the time. It made her feel more free and unrestrained…and gave her much easier access to herself whenever she felt the urge. There were scant few pieces of furniture that didn't have her fluids on it at one time or another. Whenever she was surprised by the unexpected visitor, she quickly wet her hair down and wrapped her voluptuous body in a towel to give the appearance of having just climbed out of the shower. The only person who ever knocked on her door before yesterday was the fatass landlord demanding the rent. She hated that man.

Aki went through her dresser, deciding on which undergarments she would wear today. _Not much variation in here…_ she realized. Thongs and bras; black, red, and a single pairing in plain old white. One pair from each was lacy and/or frilly. She eventually settled on the plain pair. "First date, nothing too fancy…" _But then again…What if she's _expecting_ me to, and is herself?_ Damn her objective mind. She placed the pair back, and pulled out a lacy black bra and her frilly satin red thong with black trim. "This'll do. Turn her on if we go there, she has no idea if we don't." She slipped into her lingerie and resumed her efforts at cleaning, which she abandoned around 4:40. She instead decided to get ready for her date instead.

She slid her closet door open and ran her hands along the length of her treasured dress. She had always wondered when she would wear it. She carefully pulled it out of her closet and laid it out on her bed. It was a sparkling, deep crimson red, with beads of gold embroidered on it, adding to the luster of the dress. It looked like a dress that only someone with loads of money could afford, but it was a memento from her sister; the one person she had ever loved…the first person she had ever harmed with her power. The first person she had killed with it. Her parents had opposed Aki's inheriting the dress. They said that her sister should be buried in it. But it was in Lyra's will that it would go to Aki. Lyra was always a smart one. She was only seventeen, but she kept a will…just in case…

The memory of her sister brought tears to Aki's eyes. Her bastard father wanted Aki dead ever since. He never loved her in the first place, but he absolutely _hated_ her after her sister's death. _Why couldn't she be like Lyra? Why couldn't it have been that little bitch that died instead of Lyra?_ Lyra, Lyra, Lyra! That's all he ever talked about! The only one he ever cared about! He even wrote in his will that all his money was to be divided up between his wife and the decoration of Lyra's tombstone in the mausoleum. Even in death her continued to spite her! He couldn't even care enough to leave her anything! "Damn that bastard!" Aki screamed in rage and threw one of her empty planters at the wall. It smashed into bits, which fell to the floor with a soft tinkling sound. She stood there, panting heavily in both rage and sorrow. It took her a bit before she could regain her composure, but she eventually stood upright and took a deep breath. "It's alright…He's burning in Hell now. He can't harm you anymore…" She picked the dress up carefully and examined it. It appeared to be just about her size. She carefully dropped the zipper in the back and slid the dress over her head. As soon as she was sure that it was on right, she zipped p the back and looked at herself in the full-body mirror on her closet door. What she saw nearly took her breath away. She looked absolutely gorgeous. With a bit of makeup and redoing her hair, she could make anybody turn their heads. Men OR women.

She opened the top drawer of her dress and began to dig through it. She knew she had makeup, but it had been so long since she had used it that she had forgotten where she kept it. It took about twenty minutes for her to find it hidden in the far back of her closet. She set her makeup kit on the table next to the mirror and began to carefully apply it. Her hands were very unsteady, and it took her several tries to get her lipstick on right; let alone her eye shadow, mascara, and blush. When she was satisfied with how she had looked, she glanced at the clock. She still had about a half an hour before she was supposed to be at the playhouse. Plenty of time to fix her hair, and she already knew what she wanted to do with it. She pulled the scissors from her bag and pulled the roller out of her hair. Her bangs flopped lazily against her face. It had been months since she had cut it, so her hair had growth to a fair length. More than enough to do what she had in mind. She lifted the bangs in front of her face and carefully trimmed them so that they lay evenly across her brow. She cut the bundles of hair on either side of her face so that they laid even with her jaw line; then pulled the rest of her hair back and slightly upwards, tying it in a ponytail that fell down to her shoulders. When everything was said and done, she thought that she looked rather attractive. But something was missing. She couldn't put her finger on it…

Ah. Of course. She needed earrings.

She knew that she had a jewelry box, and she found this hidden in the dusty rear of her closet as well. She blew the dust off of the top and opened the box. It was full of old jewelry that she had once adored, but had since lost the affection for. Sitting on top in the small drawer on the lid, was a pair of golden, dangling earrings. Perfect for the situation. She drew them out tentatively and held them up to her ears in the mirror, picturing how they would look. That's when it hit her. _Why am I getting so into this? Look at me! All dressed up and WEARING MAKEUP! This isn't me! This…isn't…_ The though trailed off. She didn't know why she was so excited about this, but she knew that she was going…and something told her that she was probably going to love it. She looked at the clock. She had ten minutes, which was about the length of the drive. She put her earrings on, fumbling twice trying to do it right. Aki grabbed her handbag; then decided to ditch it for a purse, which was once more in the back of the closet. Classic brown leather. She pulled everything that she thought she would need out of her usual pack and placed it in her purse. She slung her purse over her shoulder, grabbed the keys to her Duel Runner, and shut the door behind her. It locked with a satisfying click.

The streets were nearly empty, but the air still smelled of gasoline and exhaust. Aki figured that she had just missed rush hour. She walked around to the side of the complex into the parking lot. She lifted her helmet off of the seat and placed it firmly on her head. She attached her purse firmly to the bike and straddled the machine. She kicked it to life and hesitated. She wasn't wearing the proper attire for riding her bike. She sighed heavily, killed the engine, and got off of the bike. She placed the helmet back on the seat, grabbed her purse, and walked. She arrived a few minutes late, but had plenty of time before the playhouse opened. The sky had not yet even begun to turn dark, which was very odd for 6:00 P.M. towards the end of summer. It must be the doing of either Shinji or the man with his Light dragon.

"Oh my GOD! Aki-san? Is that really you?" Aki knew the voice immediately. She didn't even bother to lower her gaze. "It is indeed me, Nagisa-san." She dropped her gaze upon Carly. She wore her hair in a bun and had taken off her glasses, hopefully replacing them with contacts. She wore a stunning black dress with shimmering golden trim, and a white leather purse was slung over her shoulder. She dressed simply, but looked absolutely beautiful anyways. "Aki-san…"

"Oh, come now. Given the circumstances; I think you can drop the suffix." Carly blushed. "R-Right. Aki…You look beautiful. I never knew you could dress like that." It was Aki's turn to blush. "I didn't either. It took a lot of effort, let me tell you." They laughed. While they stood talking, a man wearing a handsome uniform unlocked the doors to the playhouse and opened it for them. "Welcome, ladies. Might I escort you to a table?" He bowed politely and motioned for them to enter. Aki smiled at him. Her first honest smile in a long time. "Thank you, sir. That would be nice." Aki placed her hand on her hip, forming a loop with her elbow. Carly wrapped her arm through Aki's. The two entered together.

xxxxx

The sky was black when the couple emerged from the playhouse. They were both laughing. Carly's hair was slightly mussed, and her face was flushed from a little too much to drink. Enough to get her tipsy, not drunk. She had a slight stagger to her step. "Wow, Aki! I had no idea that you knew so much about Shakespeare!" Aki smiled coyly. "It's nothing impressive, really…" The play had been _Hamlet_, but the two of them had gotten bored by the end of the second act. They had paid for their dinner and left. The night breeze was refreshingly cool against their skin. It was a nice change from the sweaty, somewhat cramped playhouse. "Carly, did you walk here earlier?" Carly stumbled over her words a bit. She obviously had about zero tolerance to liquor, as this was the result of a single glass of wine. "I…uhhhh…I-uh-walked…" Aki sighed. "Alright. I'll take you back to your place. See if we can't find something to pull you together." Carly nodded. "D'ya know where I live?"

"I've been there with Jack a couple of times, when he dragged me on his errands." She nodded. "Arright, 'en." Carly's apartment wasn't far away. About five minutes. Much closer than her own. "C'mon. We'd best get a move on. Who knows what kind of creeps are lurking about right now, and I don't have my deck with me." Carly half nodded, half fell over. It was kind of comical, and even brought a smirk to Aki's lips. However, it wasn't enough to mask the hole that she felt growing in the pit of her stomach. She knew what would happen if she went back to Carly's apartment, that she would not leave until the next morning…That she would share the bed of another woman. She tried to imagine what that would feel like, and it made her tingle all over; as if there were a current running through her. The two set off down the street together.

Carly's door opened with a small _click_, and swung open noiselessly, Carly had since sobered up slightly and motioned for Aki to enter after she had turned the lights on. Welcome to my crap-shack. Please don't judge. Work hasn't been the best lately. The series of rooms was definitely small and obviously not made for two, but it was well-kept and cozy. Aki set her purse down gently on the table next to the door and slipped her shoes off.. "So…What now?" Carly had wandered into the back and fell face-first onto her bed. "Make yourself at home…If you're still hungry, feel free to take whatever you want from the kitchen." She heard a slight noise come from the doorway to her bedroom. Before she knew it, she felt a figure pressing itself into her back. Aki wrapped her arms around Carly and whispered into her ear. "I'm not interested in anything in the kitchen…" She pressed her pelvis tight against the girl's ass to demonstrate her point. Carly swallowed. "Are-Are you sure we should? I-I-I mean…this was our first…date. Are you even sure yet that you-you're into…girls?" Aki lightly licked the girl's ear. "Well, now. I won't know for sure until we try, won't I?" Aki seemed to be running on autopilot. Everything she said, that she did, happened before she could think about it. Apparently her body knew what it wanted.

"Aki…I…I…Are you _sure_…" She felt the warmth of the redhead's body on her back, felt her heart pounding. Aki loosened her grip on Carly just enough so the she could turn over and face her. "Yeah…I'm sure." Aki's eyes glittered with both confusion and anticipation. "Have you done this before, Carly?" The girl shook her head vigorously. Aki let loose a sigh of relief, and let up a little. "Good…Then I have no expectations to live up to…" She took a deep breath, then lowered her face towards Carly's. Her breath on Carly's face was warm and wet. When Aki paused, it irritated her. She wanted to feel those lips. "Is…Is this okay? Do you mind if I…kiss you?" Carly pressed her lips to Aki's. They were warm and flush, not at all what she'd expected. Carly had taken Aki somewhat by surprise, but she quickly gave in and returned the kiss. There was definitely passion in it. So much so that it sent chills down Aki's spine, but not in a bad way. They seemed to kiss forever, before Carly broke it to take a breath. Aki was taking deep breaths herself. "Wow, Carly…That was amazing…I never thought another girl could make me tingle like that. I'm even more sure of it, now. I'll sleep with you, if you want to." Carly pulled her into another passionate, albeit much shorter kiss. "Yeah…Let's do it."

Aki reached behind her, and lowered the zipper on the back of her dress. She slipped it around her arms and let it flop around the girl's waist. As the two began kissing again, Aki felt her hand slowly move itself over one of her breasts. The girl's hand tightened weakly once, then more firmly a second time. It took her a couple of seconds to become comfortable with the idea of feeling up another girl, then she gently began massaging both of them. Aki could feel Carly moaning into her mouth. Without breaking the kiss, Carly's hand worked their way down the neck until she was forced to stop at her dress. She fidgeted with it a bit to undo the strap holding the zipper up and slowly slipped the dress down revealing Aki's magnificent pair. Aki broke the kiss, inching her way down to Carly's breasts. This was obviously doing something for the girl, as her breathing became quicker and more ragged. "Don't…stop. That feels too good…" Aki broke the girl's grip on her to pull the two of them together, pressing her breast into Carly's and kissing Carly passionately. This time, desire was thrown into the mix. Aki slowly slid her hands down Carly's side, under her dress…

* * *

"Aki-san! Aki-san!" Aki woke to a light shaking and her name repeating. Aki opened her eyes, having to shield them from the sun. She sat up groggily, looking for whomever had called her name. It was Luca. "Ughh…Yeah? What's up?" Damn kid, waking her up at the best part. Aki was growing wet from the dream. That was the best sex she'd ever had; she couldn't deny it. "Aki-san! Are you okay? You were moaning quite loudly." Aki's face immediately turned red. "I-I-I was?" She nodded. "Yeah. People were starting to look at you funny." Aki began to crawl to her feet. Her body was screaming for release right now. "Thanks…Look, Luca-chan…When somebody is doing that, the best favor you can do them is to just leave them be." Aki started to walk away.

"Were you having a perverted dream?" She turned slightly, unsure if she had heard her correctly. "What?"

"I asked if you were having a dirty dream. Lua says that they happen when you get older. It's his excuse when he wets the bed." Aki felt herself get a little angry, and a little embarrassed. She flushed as she chewed the young girl out. "Hey! Are you calling me old? I'm only a few years older than you, ya know!" She sighed. "You need to talk about this with your parents, Luca-chan, not me." Luca blushed a bit and avoided eye contact. "I…I already know about that stuff. It's still his excuse. But…There are some things I'd rather talk with _you_ about than with my parents…Like…What am I supposed to do when I like somebody? I mean…_like_ like somebody…" Aki turned around completely now. "Ohhhh…How sweet! Luca-chan's first crush! Well…That's hard to say for sure, because it would depend on the person. Who is it? Do I know him?"

"Well…Kinda…He's a little older than me…About four years…" Aki crouched down to Luca's level. "That doesn't tell me who, Luca-chan. I can't help you unless I have a name." She hesitated a bit. Her eyes kept flitting over Aki's shoulder, as if something were there. "He…He's standing right behind you."

"Am I…interrupting something…?" Aki jumped at the voice; a low tenor, nearly bass, with a thick accent not of Asian origin. She knew it, and the sound dispelled her urge to release. She grabbed Luca and leaped forward, shielding the girl while she glared back over her shoulder. "You! What do you want?" He pulled both hands from under his cloak and held them up in the universal pose of peace. "I do not wish…to fight you. I came to…apologize." He lowered his hands and dropped to his left knee, thrusting his right fist into the ground. It looked as though he were bowing to a king…or a pharaoh. "Please…forgive my actions…I am…truly sorry…" Aki straightened up and crossed her arms, glaring down at him. "And why should I believe you? You broke into my apartment, threatened me, and then attacked all of us! Including this little girl! I don't even know why she thought it was a good idea to nurse you back to health!" He looked at her. "…I have not…harmed the…girl…I…have had…plenty of…opportunities…" He had a point. If he really did bear the Signers ill-will, then why hadn't he attacked Luca? Either he had a thing for her, or he was telling the truth. Or was she being used as a puppet? No…That didn't seem likely. "You…You waltz into town and wreak mayhem, and now you want me to…forgive you? Do you really expect me to?"

"…No. I don't…expect. Only…hope…"He trailed off, not knowing where to begin. He knew better than to hope for anything. Aki scratched at an itch on her arm, and took a deep breath of fresh air. The day was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky. It was too lazy a day to hold grudges. "…I forgive you." He looked up at her, his red eyes seeming to glow. "…I beg…your pardon?" She brought her gaze to him and smirked. "I said that I forgive you. Luca-chan trusts you; so I will, too. But on one condition! You have to do something for me." He retuned to his bow. "Of course…Anything…"

"Luca-chan appears to have taken a liking to you. You be nice to her, you got it? She's just a child."

"Naturally. I would…never…harm a lady…willingly…You have…my word…Lady Izayoi." Aki was shocked into silence. This man was definitely NOT the person who attacked them yesterday. This man seemed polite and respectful. She actually believed him now. "Please. Don't call me 'Lady'. It makes me feel like something I'm not." He let his cloak fold shut around him, leaving only his face exposed, as he stood. "As you wish." What appeared to be a dragon began to materialize from the shadow cast by the tree, the dragon from before. The girls watched as the dragon bent down and let the man step onto its back. "I'm…going to help…Zuka…search for…the traitor." The dragon prepared to take off, but stopped when Luca grabbed him by the cloak. "When you're done, or…whenever you just get tired, you're always welcome at my house…" It took all of her effort to look him in the eye as she said this. He cast his gaze from her up to the sky. A cloud was slowly drifting by. "…I'll think about it…" He stood steadily on its back and stood there as it spread its massive wings and took flight. It disappeared from sight in seconds. Neither of the girls said anything while a cool breeze swept over them, throwing Aki's hair about her face. "…So…Him, huh? You have an…interesting…taste in boys, Luca-chan."

"Yeah…There's just something about him, I'm not sure what, that just…makes me feel all warm and tingly whenever I think about him or when I'm near him. My heart pounds faster and I can't think straight." _Damn._ Aki thought. _She doesn't just like this guy. She's head-over-heels for him! This won't end well…_ "That's one helluva choice for a first crush, Luca-chan. Not sure if it's good or bad, though. He seems like there might be some good in him; but still. Be careful around him. I don't want to see you get hurt if he's possessed again." A bell chimed the hour somewhere, five o'clock. "Well, I've gotta head home and get some dinner. We'll talk about this later, okay Luca-chan?" She grabbed her things from the grass and started walking. She never broke pace as she said one last thing to the confused girl. "The two of you may be legal, age-wise; but most people will frown at it. Make sure it's what you really want." She waved over her shoulder and vanished into the crowd of people.

_Ohh…What do I do? What do I do?_


	3. Second Impression

"You tread a dangerous path, 41." The hair on Zuka's head whipped around in the breeze far above the city. He looked down as he addressed the approaching shadow. His Red-Eyes mount came to a quick stop, and he gave Zuka a puzzled glared. "Oh come, now. You know exactly what I'm talking about. That young duelist…Oh, what was her name…" He lightly tapped his head and snapped his fingers. "Luca. That girl called Luca." 41 shrugged. "You may not show it outright, but it's clear to me. You're treating that girl differently than everybody else. You decided to spend a bit of time _socializing_ with her, and you actually spoke to her…More whispered, actually, but spoke nonetheless. You've never done that with anyone. Not even me, whom you've known for millennia." The breeze removed 41's hood, revealing his white hair and dark complexion. " What makes…you think you…know what…I…feel?"

"41, I've known you since ancient times. I can tell what you're thinking most of the time by your facial expressions, let alone your body language. I saw how you reacted when she wrapped her arms around you. Normally, you would quite literally throw them off of you; but not her. You let her hug you when you won't even let the people back home so much as shake your hand. You treat her differently than everybody else, 41. I know you feel something for the girl; even if you don't know, yourself." 41 hurled himself from his dragon to Zuka's and decked him, knocking him flat on his ass on his Blue-Eyes' back. "Don't you dare tell me what I feel, Zuka. All my life I've been treated as an animal! Even you, my so-called 'partner' hold me in contempt, don't you! At least she treats me like I'm a human. She isn't afraid of me!" Zuka could only stare at him. Not only had his partner lashed out at him, but he had spoken a complete and coherent sentence in a voice louder than a whisper. Blood flowed from Zuka's nose in a steady stream. It was no surprise, since it was most likely broken. "You tread a dangerous path, 41. You feel ashamed at falling for a girl that's no more than a child, and you get angry when someone realizes it and points it out when you just want to try to forget and move past it." He chuckled. "I can read you like a book, 41." 41's Red-Eyes growled, perhaps feeling its partner's aggression and anger. The Blue-Eyes roared in response, defending its own. 41 picked Zuka up by the collar of his robes. "You know nothing about me. I am not ashamed of anything! Maybe you forgot; but I'm still a child, myself!" 41's temper was why Zuka feared his partner, but he acknowledged his own folly in pressing at his partner like he was. "Keep pushing the matter, Zuka. See what happens; because as of right now, we're through. I'm done with you." The white-robed man broke the grip and landed squarely on his feet. "Fine. I don't really care. You wanna go? Then go. Get off of my…" 41 had already vanished, his dragon with him. Zuka sighed again. "That damned fool…" He cursed the man, but he knew that 41 was right. They'd been together so long and been in so many sticky situations that he'd forgotten that the man was a perpetual teen. "Maybe…I should go apologize." Still. Even if it wasn't as big of a problem morally, they still have a job to do. He didn't have time for such games. Considering the gravity of the situation, did he really have to pick now to discover girls? Everything was going just fine until they came here, then it all became unbearably frustrating. Which of these situations should he address first? "Gah…Damn it all!"

While Zuka remained miles above the city, pondering what he was supposed to do, 41 made his way to the ruins that lay just outside of the city. They seemed like a likely place for the target to hide. His Red-Eyes Wyvern kicked up a large cloud of dust as it slowed down and landed. As he stepped from its back onto the ground, it dissolved away into the vanishing daylight. _This place is a dump…_ It reminded him of ancient Egypt after that final battle with the demon Zorc Necrophades. There weren't many buildings still standing, and those that were were in horrible condition. He took a few steps deeper into the Satellite and looked around. _Hmm…Doesn't look like there are any citizens_. He'd best be sure to make some kind of marker. Places such as these were easy to get lost in.

He heard hurried footsteps behind him, as if someone were running, followed by a voice. "What do _you_ want? You back for round two?" 41 turned around. There was a young man there, not much shorter, that had black hair with golden streaks done in a weird style and wearing a blood-soaked bandage on his left hand. Something about him seemed familiar. Suspiciously, he looked around; as if something were missing. "Where's Luca-chan? What did you do with her?" 41 opened his mouth to respond, but everything went black.

* * *

"Yusei, you son of a bitch! I haven't seen you in _this_part of town for some time!" Yusei turned to greet his old friend, Crow. It was true. He hadn't been to the Satellite in months, but he figured that it was the best place to start looking for that psychic guy those Egyptian bounty hunters were after. There were several places to hide, after all; but nobody knew their way around Satellite like Yusei. "So it has; but I don't have time for small talk, Crow. Have you seen anything suspicious around here recently?" Crow pointed over Yusei's head. "Aside from that? No." Yusei turned to see what Crow was pointing at and had barely enough time to hit the dirt before an all-too familiar dragon nearly took his head off before pulling to a quick stop and landing heavily in a cloud of dirt and dust. The man with black robes hopped off and looked around. Wincing as he picked himself from the ground, Yusei ran over to him. "What do _you_ want? You back for round two?" He looked around and noticed the absence of someone who should be there. " Where's Luca-chan? What did you do with her?" Yusei saw what was coming next but was unable to stop Crow from sneaking up behind him and hitting the man over the back of the head with a decent-sized rock. The man slumped to the ground before he could reply. "Damn it, Crow! I was trying to talk to the guy!" Crow tossed the rock over his shoulder. "And I was saving you a whole lot of trouble. Now let's finish him off." Yusei dropped his face into his open hand. "No, Crow. We're not killing him. Not without getting something out of him first. I'll take him back to Luca's…I hope she's safe. You go get the others. Hopefully he'll come to soon and we can all talk and find out just what the hell's going on." Yusei squatted down and dragged the guy over his shoulders, struggling under his weight. "Uggh…I'd forgotten how heavy this guy is." Step by step, he slowly made the hike back to his Duel Runner.

…

"Hey, hey! He's coming to!" 41 could hear long before he could see. "Who…hit me?" He felt a wet towel on his head and the presence of people. "Ooh! Why'd you hurt him like that?" He recognized Luca's voice, but the others…He just couldn't tell. "Who hit me?" He repeated himself, once again without answer. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and became aware of a throbbing pain in his head severe enough that he almost passed out. Still no vision. "Who…Hit…Me?" 41 was growing impatient now. He felt a pair of hand wrap around his. "I'm so sorry about them. They just didn't…"

"Who? Hit? Me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. That was Crow-san. He thought you were going to attack Yusei-san." 41 groaned and placed a hand on the tender side of his head. The pain almost made him pass out. He gradually became more aware of the other people around him. The scent of flowers to his left. Aki without a doubt. A feeling of power and confidence: that British bloke Jack. There were two more, both reeking the same; but one felt a little more sophisticated and refined than the other. That one must that guy from before. He groped around for the nightstand, then felt for something solid. Aki thought she knew what he wanted and placed a glass of water in his hand and gave him an apology. He threw the glass at the fifth person and heard it smash satisfactorily followed by Crow crying out in pain and trying his hardest not to swear. 41 apparently hit him in the face while he had his eyes closed. He felt small satisfaction in it. "That's for hitting me, you bastard! I can't see a damn thing because of you!" Crow was frightened by the anger in his voice. He sounded like someone you didn't want to screw with.

"Kam-san! You actually talked!" He nodded as best he could with both hands cradling his wound. Tears of pain rolled down his cheek. "Yeah…Funny how getting your skull split will make you do that, huh?" His voice was dripping with sarcastic pain. Yusei pushed himself gently from the wall and took a step towards the bedridden man. "Hey, man. You're angry and I completely understand why; but would you mind watching your tongue? There's a child present." Luca shook her head. "It's okay. I hear Crow-san swear all the time, and my parents do too when they fight. I think it's better just to let him vent it now." He shrugged and tried to place a comforting hand on 41's shoulder; but couldn't bring himself to do it. The man felt like…death. "Look…I'm sincerely sorry for what Crow did. It was inexcusable and I'll chew him out about it later; but first things first. Luca-chan said that you wanted to see us?" 41 groaned again. "Uggh…Yeah…I was going to apologize, but now I don't think I want to anymore. I think this makes us even." Jack laughed at him. "What's the matter? Can't handle a little pain? You must…" He stopped short when he felt the dangerous aura that 41 was throwing his way. "I can't see, and it's taking everything I have to stay conscious!" he growled. "Do you want to try this? I'll be more than willing to help you when my sight comes back!" Luca hugged him. "We get it, you're angry. Shh…Just calm down and we'll talk about this."

"First, get _him_…" He pointed to Crow, "…out of here." Yusei made to help Crow up, but Crow shrugged him off. "I can walk, thanks." Aki glared at him on his way out and hit him upside the head with her palm. "Way to go, birdbrain. You pissed off the guy who can kick our collective asses up and down the country. I'd learn to sleep with one eye open, if I were you." He shrugged. "Hey, you guys won in the end, so it's no big deal." She smacked him over the back of the head again. "We won because it wasn't _him_ using his deck. It was that other guy! That man who had no bond with those cards, like if I tried using those canaries of yours! This man is on a completely different level than before." Crow walked out of the room, calling back over his shoulder. "Okay, okay, I get it: I messed up. Get offa my case, wouldja?"

"Alright, Kam-san. He's gone." The vision had been bleeding back into 41's head slowly for the last couple of minutes as the pain died. He had just barely seen Aki hit Crow; though they were more moving shadows than discernable figures, slightly darker than the surrounding blackness. "Alright…I wanted to…apologize…for whatever I was forced to do. I can't remember anything between arriving in your city and waking up here. If I hurt any of you…I'm sincerely…sorry." Yusei chuckled casually. "Don't worry about us, we're pretty tough. The only thing you injured was Aki's pride when you shut her out completely. We _would_ have been injured, but your partner took you down before you could. It's okay. You weren't you. We forgive you. You don't have to beat yourself up over it." 41 heaved a sigh of relief, groaning as it hurt to do so. "That's good to…hear…" Apparently the pain was dying down a bit, as his speech was breaking up again. Ever so carefully, he moved the covers from himself and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Aki and Luca each grabbed a shoulder and resisted his rising. "Are you sure you should get up? It doesn't seem like you can see yet!" He shook his head, throwing himself off balance. It took Jack's added strength to keep him upright. "No…But hot water…will help…ease the pain. I…was about to…ask…if I could…use your shower."

"No. Not without someone in there to help you if needed." Yusei fidgeted. "Hey! Would you look at the time! I gotta go meet Rally at the old hangout soon and do…something… Later, y'all!" He hustled from the room. The two girls looked at Jack. He sneered. "I won't bother making up some stupid excuse. I've got better things to do with my time." He followed Yusei at a casual pace. Only the girls were left, the child and the still-closet lesbian. Aki was the first to speak. "So…umm…Which of us is it going to be? I mean…Not that I want to expose a child to something they shouldn't see too soon, but it _is_ your residence; and you know this place better than I do. I'll do it if you don't want to, though. It won't bother me." She leaned over to her and whispered into the girl's ear. "This could be a good opportunity for you, Luca-chan."

"I can hear you, you know." Aki froze and Luca whispered in return. "Forget about trying to get anything past him. It won't work. Besides, he already knows that I kinda like him." He tried getting up and they had to gently press him back down. "I just need to get some hot running water on this wound if I'm going to get it clean so I can sterilize it. I don't care who helps me there. Lesbian or kid, it's the same to me. Just decide quickly." Luca looked at Aki with a puzzled expression. "Aki-san, you're…?" Aki place a finger over her lips, blushing and avoiding eye contact. "We'll talk about it later, 'kay? Why don't you help him?" Aki gave her a wink and a little shove. Luca quickly turned a vibrant shade of red. "I…I…I…No…I'd rather you do it, Aki-san. Please." Aki nodded, understanding. "Okay. Yeah, it's fine." She _was_ just a kid. This was probably for the best, even if it would provide her with an opportunity to get closer to him, emotionally. Aki stood and lead 41 by the hand. "This way, Mr…?"

"Luca has…taken to calling me…Kamenwati. That or…41. I don't…care…" Aki nodded in acknowledgment, then remembered that he couldn't see. "Right. This way, Kamenwati-san." She gently guided him from the room and down the hall to the bathroom. She stepped inside with him so she could help him in he needed it. Even though his vision was shot, he was able to remove his clothing with ease. Aki averted her eyes and looked at the ceiling, trying to give him as much privacy as possible. "You can look…if you want…I don't…care. Where I'm from…there are…people…who walk around…without clothes…all the time. Besides…according to _you_…you're not…into…guys anymore. A young woman named…Carly…I believe. Not that…I care about that…either, mind you."

"I'm being polite and giving you privacy. That's how I am." The sound of water gently falling reached her ears. "You know…For a blind man, you seem to be getting around quite well." She could barely hear his voice over the sound of the shower. Since he was behind the smoked glass was now around the corner, so she lowered her gaze and leaned against the wall. "Some sight…has returned…Just barely enough to…recognize shapes…and…figures…" She heard him groan faintly as the hot water poured onto the still tender wound. The water felt good against his skin. He'd been on assignment after assignment for so long, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had the chance to savor a nice hot shower. Aki could be heard fidgeting. _This girl's house is…surprisingly western…_ he thought. It was really rather shocking, to be honest. Even the bathroom was western-styled.

"So tell me…" Aki's voice cut the silence. "How did you know I'm lesbian? The only person who knows that is Carly, and she hasn't told anybody yet either." She heard him rustling around under the water, presumably to wash out the blood that had matted down the hair on the back of his head and stained it red. "I can hear your thoughts. I know everything about most everybody I meet. I can read their minds like a book, when I want to. You have an older sister. Lyra, deceased. It's been five years, two months, twenty days, one hour, thirty-six minutes, and seven seconds since that drunk crashed into her." Aki was shocked. "I've…never told that to anybody. Nobody knows I ever even HAD a sister, let alone that she's passed. Wait, how do you know how long it's been? I can't remember THAT precisely!" She thought she heard him sneer, but she might have been mistaken. "_You_ may not remember that precisely, but it's in there. Just like everything you saw when you were no more than two…" Aki coughed, signaling him to shut up. "Okay, okay…I believe you. Just…Please don't remind me of…_her_…Daddy's little pride and joy." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. With a sigh, she slumped to the ground and sank her face into her hands and sobbed. So many painful memories…He was silent for a moment, not even moving. "My…apologies…It was not…my intention…to upset you…" The flow of water died with his voice. "Don't…Don't worry about it." She heard him step from the shower and the light rustling of a towel. "If it…makes you feel any better…I've lost everybody…Family, friends…everybody…Except Zuka, who…like me…walks outside of…time…But he's…not a true friend…" He looked around. "My sight's…mostly returned." It didn't take him long to adorn himself with his clothing. Before the two of them left the room and returned to 41's temporary chambers, Aki grabbed his wrist and held on tightly. "Wait. I've got one more question. When you fought us the other day, you called me your descendent. Is…Is that true, or was it something that that guy made up to rattle me?" Easy enough to answer. "Impossible…I have never…had any children…" Aki breathed a sigh of relief. That was a weight off of her chest. "…However…Shinji had a daughter…" Oh, great. She might be related to the _evil_ psycho. Somehow…that made her feel even worse. "Thanks…Alright, let's go. Luca-chan's waiting for us…"

Luca was waiting for them in the room, quietly staring out the window. "Are you feeling better now, Kamenwati-san?" He said nothing, but she took his fluid movements as a sign that his sight had returned. "Alright, then. Sit." She pointed at the bed as she gave the order. He silently obliged. She kneeled on the bed behind him, holding a piece of cloth and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. She dampened the cloth with the antiseptic. "Alright, Kam-san. Brace yourself. This will sting like Hell." Aki started to tell Luca to watch her language, but was quickly cut off by 41's sharp yell as Luca applied the cloth. She pressed on it gently, making sure that it was flat against his head and applied pressure. After what seemed like hours, she finally removed the cloth from the wound. "There. Now you can bandage it. She handed him a length of bandage, which he wrapped tightly around his head, tying it off at the end as he had been taught centuries before. Now he really looked like a marine. A tight, sleeveless shirt, cargo pants, and a headband around his slicked-back white hair. And the boots. Definitely standard-issue American combat boots with what appeared to be a commando knife tucked into one. Luca felt herself flushing at the sight of him again. Kamenwati saw this, and ignored the fact; though he, himself, blushed just slightly. It was difficult, but Aki could see the change in the color of his cheeks. That started all the pieces falling into place in her mind. Why he stayed with her after he'd first awoken, his acting noble in front of her, why he listened when she gave him an order when he wouldn't for anyone else. He was fond of her. This 20 or 30-year-old man was feeling for a twelve-year-old girl. He shot a glare at Aki, and she remembered that he could hear her thoughts. "I'm…sixteen…remember…?" Oh, yeah. She'd forgotten about that part.

_That's a little better, but still weird. You're four years older than her, and she's still considered a child._ She thought, hoping her would hear her. He walked over and leaned in, whispering into her ear. "I don't recall…saying that you're right…" He walked off without another word. Luca watched him, then looked quizzically at Aki, and wondered what was going on between the two. Oh, well. She watched him leave, then turned to Aki. "So Aki-san, you're…umm…'lesbian' means that you like girls and not boys; right, Aki-san?" Aki sat down on the bed in 41's place. "Yeah, it does." Luca crawled over and sat next to her. "Have…Have you always…?"

"No, not always. It's actually a really recent change." Luca was confused now. Aki didn't want it to turn awkward, but knew that it had to if the girl wanted answers. "So how would you…err…I mean…Without a…" Aki placed her face in her hands and sighed. Really? She went there already? _Oh, give me a break! _"You sure know how to make things awkward, don't you?" She looked down, noticing a slight look of what seemed to be worry on her face. "Well…Oh, I really don't think I should be telling you this…You know how you can make yourself feel good by…touching yourself?" Oh, there were so many more things Aki would rather be doing than talking about this…This was so awkward. Luca blushed and dropped her gaze to the floor, but nodded. "Well…It's when two girls make each other feel good. But that's not what you need to worry. You just make sure that nothing too big happens between you and that guy. There could be some really bad consequences for the both of you."

"I know…My mom told me about that…" Thank God. Maybe the awkward questions were done. "That's good. Saves me the awkwardness of explaining. Just know that you're much too young to be doing things like that, okay? I won't say to wait until you're married. I admit that that would make me a hypocrite; but at least wait until you're a little older." Luca knew that, and she had already thought about the troubles it could cause where she was now. But if nobody found out, though… "Alright. I won't. Thanks Aki-san." Aki sighed, glad to be done with that, and stood to leave. "Sorry, Luca, but I have to go now. I've got some things to take care of before dinner." She started to leave, but Luca grabbed her hand. "Umm…One more thing. I was just curious…If it's as he says, is there a special girl in your life?" Aki turned. "Yeah, but why the sudden interest?" The girl shrugged. "Something's bothering me. It's…Nagisa-san, isn't it?" Aki was stunned. 41 had said nothing of that, so how did she know? "Uhh…Yeah. But how did you know?" Luca took her index and middle finger and gently tapped at her temple like 41 did the day before with a slight look of worry on her face. "I…heard…it. All day I've been hearing whispering. Nothing clear until a few minutes ago. I 'heard' about Jack spending the night at Mikage's last night, but nothing happened between the two. Someone had been stalking her and she was scared. The guy broke in that night and Jack…pardon my French, Aki-san…Jack beat his ass and handed him to the Securities." Aki cut in. "Watch your tongue, Luca-chan. You're still too young to be talking like that. You're twelve."

"I also 'heard' about Yusei cutting his hand pretty badly while he was working on his duel runner this morning before going to Satellite. I'm scared, Aki-san. I don't know what's happening!" Aki was scared, too. It sounded like she was starting to develop the same extrasensory abilities as 41. Could it be because of all the time she spent around him before and after he woke? Has she always had the power and is just starting to realize it? Aki knelt down to Luca's level and placed her hands on the frightened girl's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Luca-chan…But I'm not that kind of psychic duelist. You'll have to talk to Kamenwati when he comes back. I think that it might just be the influence of his presence." That seemed most likely. Luca looked her in the eye. Her own were full of fear. "Al…Alright. I will. Thanks, Aki-san…I guess I'll see you later…I'm going to go lay down." Aki patted her on the shoulders then stood up. "Yeah. You go do that. Goodbye, Luca-chan. Take care. I'll see if I can't find any information for you." She closed the door quietly behind her as she left.

* * *

It was near midnight before 41 returned to Luca and Lua's house. After he'd left, he'd gone to the gym in order to keep in shape. He closed the door behind him as quietly as he could, not expecting Luca to be waiting for him. He reflexively dropped to one knee and grabbed the handle of his knife when her voice broke the stillness of the house. "Kam-san…Can we talk?" He took a second to calm himself while he looked for where she was. She was standing in the hallway that led to the back of the residence. "…What…?" She fidgeted with her hands, not knowing where to begin. "For starters, could you tell me exactly how you hear the thoughts of people?" He looked at her. "Why?" She didn't say anything, but had a look in her eyes that said 'please.' Maybe it only seemed that way in the low light. "…It's like the…narration of a story…" Odd. "They don't whisper?" What the hell was she talking about? "…Where did…this come from…all of…a sudden?" Where should she start? The beginning, then. "I've been hearing whispering all day. It's been telling me people's thoughts." Bullshit. There was no way in Hell. Not once in all these long years had he _ever_ met anybody else who could hear the thoughts of others, so why would _she_ be able to all of a sudden? This little girl he had just met the other day, the first person he would contemplate calling a 'friend?' "…Let me see…your eyes…" She hit the light switch on the wall next to him and looked up so he could get a good look. The light in her eyes was dimmer than they should be. "…You're not hearing…You're being told…under…hypnotic influence…" In other words, someone was trying to pull some strings. "…Ignore it…" It was nothing to be concerned about. Someone had placed her under hypnotic suggestion and this was nothing more than a side-effect. It'd be gone by this time tomorrow most likely. He understood how it worked. In most instances, anyways.

"What do you mean?" Oh, right. She's twelve. Gotta dumb down the terminology a bit… Het tried his best to explain how the hypnotic suggestion had increased her sensitivity to the alpha waves released by the brain, essentially allowing her to "hear" the thoughts and that it would wear off in time. He tried a total of three times before he decided that it was to advanced for her and just told her to forget it. "…It's early…I'm going to sleep…" She grabbed on tightly to his arm and looked like she wanted to say something. "…What…?"

"I…No, never mind. Good night." She let go of his sleeve and retreated into her room. He gently brushed his arm. "…Strange…" When she had grabbed him, her mind had gone completely blank. For the first time, he had no idea what she was going to say. He closed the door quietly behind him and sat on the bed, removing his effects. Was is part of whatever hypnosis was placed on her? "…Hmph…Not important…" The bigger question was who it hypnotist was. The only person who could do it without being noticed would be Shinji; but he would have succeeded in the hypnosis, and she didn't have the his signature rings around her eyes. Just what the Hell was going on in this city? He kicked his feet up onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Puzzling events to be sure, but nothing he felt was worth looking into.

…

Morning seemed to come quickly, and 41 had barely managed to get any sleep. After half an hour of being nagged at near incessantly, he dragged himself from bed and into the kitchen; where he found that Luca had cooked pancakes for the both of them. "I hope you like pancakes, Kam. You're going to eat _something_ today. You haven't eat anything since you got here. She placed a plate in front of him. "…But what if I…"

"I don't care if you're not hungry. You're eating. Come on; let's go out on the vista. The weather's perfect for eating outside this time of year." Damn. She was being really pushy today. She somehow managed to force him from the chair and out the sliding door separating the interior from the vista. The sun had just begun to rise, creating quite a beautiful effect when combine with the cityscape. And some pretty scenery as well. 41 took a bite of the food before him. It was actually rather tasty, though he wasn't about to admit it. "…How's your head…?" She told him that it was getting better. She could still hear things, but very faintly. "You are still not completely convinced and you're thinking that I look pretty in the morning light. You also…" She cut off when she realized what she'd heard and repeated. It made her go beet red. "Aww…Thank you…" 41 almost choked on his food. There was no way in Hell that she should have been able to hear that last part if the 'voices' were as faint as she claimed. They finished their breakfasts in silence, neither one knowing where to start. Or perhaps neither wanted to start. Luca pulled her chair up next to 41's. "Kam-san" He had to cut in. "…Stop calling me…_-san_. I'm not…Japanese…"

"Kam…Be honest with me. What do you think of me?" He honestly didn't know what he felt anymore, not that he really cared. "…Dunno…" She laid her head down on his arm and shut her eyes. "Mmm…You don't mind my doing this, do you?" He sighed. "…You'd do it…regardless of my…answer…" She pressed her head a bit further into his arm. "I really like you, Kam. If I had my way, I'd have it stay like this forever. Just the two of us." Oh, please… "…Spare me the drama…" She sighed contentedly. "As distant as ever. One way or another, I'll make…you…" Before she could even finish her sentence, she drifted off to sleep while using his arm as her pillow. He looked towards the sky, saw the faint white shape far above, and knew that Zuka was watching him. Using his free hand, 41 smirked as he gave his ex-partner a less-than-friendly salute. He was done with the society now; but that left him with another problem. Where would he stay, now? He had no home to return to. Maybe here? "…Would they…accept me…?" Somehow he doubted it. After all, he'd attacked them. It's one thing to forgive long enough to accomplish a single goal, but a complete other to live in harmony with them. Maybe he'd go back to America…It has been a while. He'd like to see how everything's changed. But…For some reason, he felt a spell of sorrow fall over him. "…What…?" It was strange. After all, it's not as though he wasn't used to moving around. Could it be these people? Maybe it was…After all; they welcomed him, even though he openly attacked them. Some of them even tried to extend the hand of friendship.

Maybe…Just maybe…It wouldn't be so bad to say here with them. A flock of birds flew overhead. "…Yeah…I'd like that…" When he lowered his gaze, he found himself to be absentmindedly stroking Luca's hair. It's true, he'd seemed to grow fond of them; but still…They'd reject him. They always reject him sooner or later. Even this little girl who'd grown so attached to him would look upon him with disgust once she learned of his blood-stained past. _Face it…_ He kept trying to deny it, but he knew it deep down. _…I'm damned to be alone._ The girl pressed up tighter against his arm. "Don't be like that…" Crap! She wasn't really sleeping! He immediately pulled his hand from her head. "Oh…Why'd you stop? That was comforting." Seeing that he'd decided to snap back into his cold-and-silent persona, she continued. "I know that your past is what's always troubling you…You shouldn't let it. I don't know what happened; but it was thousands of years ago, wasn't it? Whatever happened, it doesn't matter anymore. That's how I see it, anyway…" She was right; or at least, she would be if his crime weren't what it was. "…You don't understand, Luca…You couldn't possibly…" After what he'd done, this punishment was just and fair. Who was he to argue it? "…I'm not worthy…of being among society…I'm no longer even…human…" She leaned in quickly and kissed him. Caught completely by surprise, it took him a full second to realize what had happened before he pushed her off roughly. "How _dare_ you…!"

"Stop…Don't say that. It's not true…" He huffed. "Or do you mean that you don't want it to be true?" He could see the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes. Oh, Hell…Here we go… "Why won't you open up to us? I may not be old enough to understand how the world works, or how people think; but even I can see that you're hurting inside. You don't need to suffer like this! Let us help you!" He went silent, and a dark shadow seemed to fall over his face as he stood up abruptly. "…Fine. You want me to open up?" His voice had a much more malicious tone to it now, almost evil. "I'm a murderer. I've slaughtered millions of my own people for no more reason than they didn't like me. It's that simple." Even though the grin that parted his lips had a dark feeling, the tone in his voice was calm; but there was still an underlying anger that could easily be detected. "During the war with Zorc Necrophades, I turned my back on my own people because I wanted to. I was driven to no corner, I made no difficult choice. Men, women, children; I butchered them all! I'm nothing more than a monster, just as they say." He took his thumb and violently shoved it into the mark burned into his forehead. "While I'm at it, do you want to know why those fools made me one of _them_? It was so they could keep an eye on me. I was a threat, the one bug they couldn't crush under their boot; and what better way to monitor a threat than to keep it chained to yourself?" As he said all this, she was slowly backing away from him. She looked terrified. "Feh. I knew it. You're afraid of me, too. All you worthless beings are the same! You never change!" Of course she was scared. Why shouldn't she be? She was staring straight into the eyes of the man that many would call the Devil himself, the most notorious murderer in history. He knew exactly what she'd do next. She'd run, just like all the others. It was like clockwork.

He was right. She ran. She ran right up to him, flinging her arms around him in the process and catching him completely by surprise. "…What the…?" Just what the Hell did this girl think she was doing? Approaching a man as dangerous as he like this? Why? Why didn't she run? The young girl was crying out of…Was it out of fear? Pity? "I know that they treated you badly, and I know that you did some bad things; but you're not that same person any more! I know you're not…" She was a persistent little brat, that much was certain. "Why didn't you run…?" He needed to know. Why was she so damn determined? "…I already told you, didn't I? I really care about you. So much that it hurts; and I can't stand watching you suffer like this…" He doubted this was true. After all, how long had she known him? A few days? That's not enough time to truly develop feelings for someone. She could feel his muscles relax as his anger faded. "…I don't need your help…"

"Yes you do! Look at you! You keep everybody shut out and yourself distant! You just yelled at me and pushed me away…even though I just want to be your friend." He sneered. "Friend? Why would I want something so trivial? Everything turns to dust around me, anyways. Time does not flow for me. I'll still be here long after you all have been forgotten and your graves since lost." He was still being intentionally belligerent, but the tone in his voice suggested that he was falling apart inside. It wasn't hard to tell that this wasn't how he really felt. The way he said it, it sounded like he wanted someone there to walk eternity with him. And so: there was _one_ offer that she could make him that might make him open up, but it would take a LOT of determination… "Then let me be like you…" He stopped for a second, caught off-guard once again and hoping that he had misheard her. "…What?" Did he _really_ hear that right? "I said let me be like you. Let me become like you so that you don't have to be alone forever. You'd have me with you." This was absolutely out of the question. Nobody in their right minds would want such a curse upon their shoulders! "No."

"Please?" Jesus, did this girl get paid every time she said that word? "No. I'm not going to. This isn't as fun as it seems." Still clinging to him, she looked up at him. "Maybe it'd be more fun if you had someone with you?" Maybe, but no. Not happening. No way, no how. "No." She pouted her lips. "I'm still gonna stick with you." He laughed mockingly. "No you're not. When I leave, you're staying here." She dropped her eyes and looked hurt, but a smirk still tugged at her lips. This did not go unnoticed. "What are you so happy about? It'll take someone sneakier than you to successfully tail _me_."

"Oh, nothing. I just realized that I got a small consolation prize is all. I got _you_ to start talking properly. That's good enough for me for now." Now that he thought about it…She had, hadn't she? Perhaps this girl was much more clever than 41 had thought. "And? What of it?" She giggled again.

"It means that you're slowly starting to warm up to me!" Grr. No matter how hard he tried to remain distant, this girl kept chiseling her way in. Quite an amazing gift, in its own right. "So what if I am? That doesn't change anything." She let go of him and held her arms behind her back. "Yes it do~es!" Her 'I won' tone was beginning to aggravate him. "I felt you stroking my head earlier. You like me!" She wore an ear-to-ear grin as she said this with her arms held behind her back. He sneered. "Don't push it, kid."

"Oh yeah? Then how come you didn't push me off when I hugged you, or why don't you protest when I use you as a pillow? Hmm?" Damn, she was right. He did think relatively fondly of her in that he didn't _hate_ her… "See? You _do_ like me!" She took his hand and dragged him back down into his chair, resuming her position with him as her pillow. He didn't even bother resisting. What was the use? She'd do it anyway, so it wasn't worth the effort trying to stop it. Let her think whatever she wanted. "Hey…Kam…"

"What?" She placed her hand opposite him on his and squeezed gently. "Umm…Would you be willing to forget about your mission today and maybe…Spend it with me?" She was great as putting him in difficult situations, wasn't she? Lie and upset a young girl or agree and be labeled a pedophile. Although… Asking like that, what kind of a person would he be to turn her down? Eh, not like he had anything better to do. "…Whatever…" She squealed to herself and gripped his arm in a tight hug, causing him to lose feeling in his hand after several seconds. "You're not going to try and kiss me again, are you?" She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Mmm…Maybe. We'll just see, won't we?" Oh, why did everything that this girl said give him a bad feeling? "You look disappointed. Did you _want_ me to?" She seemed to think that she could get away with trying to tease him. This was an attitude that had to be adjusted promptly. "Not in the slightest." Even though he said that, her question still made him feel…flustered? Embarrassed? He honestly didn't know the word.

The sun was a fair distance over the horizon now; and somewhere, a bell chimed six.

* * *

This was rather problematic. That fool was going to ruin everything! It was bad enough that he had to babysit that psychopath these last thousand years; he was NOT going to get demoted again because he decided to go prancing around town with some kid! Zuka screamed. "Damn it all! Just how far must I fall before the gods show mercy? Please, sister…Tell me…" His cloak rustled around his feet, making light waves in the grass on which he stood. This city…Everything was going smoothly until they were sent to this damn city. He'd almost talked the top brass into assigning him a different partner. Now, he could kiss that goodbye. "I can't stand another minute with that madman!" He dropped to his knees and mercilessly punched the ground. If only he'd had the courage to do that yesterday. He had the perfect opportunity to put that bastard in his place, so why didn't he?

"It's because you were scared of him, Zuka. That is why you could not attack him." Zuka heard footsteps in the grass behind him. "So, Shinji…You finally decide to show yourself?" Zuka stood and turned to face his adversary. He dressed in a similar fashion to 41, only he had two leather straps crossing his chest and a red leather jacket. His blonde hair was neatly kept and tied back, stopping at the base of his neck. Black rings were painted round his eyes. "What do you want?" The man moved elegantly, as though he belonged to royalty. "I simply wanted to talk to an old friend. Is that so wrong?"

"You know full-well that I'm here to hunt you down, so why are you really here?" As Shinji turned to face him, Zuka could see the firearms hidden inside of his jacket. "It's as I say. I know that you are here for me; but I also know that you are contemplating desertion. It's written all over your face. I can't say I blame you, really. Once one of the most respected members, now babysitting someone who should be dead. I can see how your pride is hurt. I, too, believe that Zuberi should be dead." He extended an open palm, offering a handshake. "Why don't we work together? You help me get rid of that beast, and I'll help you disappear." Zuberi? Was that 41's name? "…Zuberi? Do you mean…41?" Shinji nodded. "How do you know his name? I don't even think that _he_ knows his name… "

"I have my sources, Zuka. You needn't concern yourself with such trivial matters. What you need concern yourself with is my proposal. Will you join with me, old friend? The man is indirectly responsible for your sister's death. Had he not told the demon god everything, she would not have been sought as she was." He was right. He almost always was; but this…Desertion is one thing. Betrayal is another. "Really, Shinji…What are you after? What are you even trying to do?"

"Again, Zuka…It's not your concern. I have my motives, and you have yours." What…What should he do? 41 couldn't be allowed to live after everything he's done, that's a given…But he couldn't just up and kill someone. That was against everything he stood for. But then…_he_ didn't have to be the one to kill him. Shinji could do that much, surely. "Ohhh…Are you actually contemplating my offer? This _is_ a surprise. I'd not thought that you could even think about murder." Zuka pulled a card from his deck, his Blue-Eyes. "Kisara…I…" A gentle breeze swept the card from Zuka's grips and straight to Shinji, who caught it effortlessly. "Well…?"

"…Alright. I'll help you kill 41; but on one condition. You leave the Signers alone. I don't know why you attacked them in the first place, but they have nothing to do with this." Shinji laughed. "Excellent, though I really had no plans for the Signers in the first place. I simply wanted to test the mettle of the Crimson Dragon's heroes. I was not impressed."

"Alright, then. I don't know what you're up to; but I'll help you as long as you leave the innocents alone." A malicious grin spread across Shinji's face. "Excellent…" This did not bode well for Zuka, but he couldn't just let these crimes go unpunished. Two birds, one stone…

* * *

"Hey, Yusei…Does it seem a bit strange to you?" Yusei hid a flame behind his hand as he lit himself a cigarette and exhaled the smoke before he answered. "What are you talking about?" The two sat outside of Yusei's workshop while he took a break from tuning up his duel runner. Aki coughed as the smoke circled around her. "Dammit, Yusei. I really wish you wouldn't do that around me. I can't stand that smell. How can you even put such foul-smelling crap in your body?"

"Yeah, sorry." He took a few steps so that he now stood downwind from Aki. "So what are you asking me again?" He took another drag. "I mean Luca-chan and that Egyptian guy. Surely you've noticed how close they are?" Ne shook his head. "Not really. I've only seen them in the same room only once, and he didn't seem too fond of any of us." Aki waved her in front of her face, trying to get rid of the lingering smoke. "Of us, he might not be too interested in; but didn't you notice that Luca-chan was the only person, other than me, that he didn't bark at?"

"None of us really tried to; though I will admit that Jack backed down uncharacteristically easily when he challenged the guy." Now that he thought about it…There _was_ a weird aura coming from the guy. "That's kind of my point. The guy had a threatening feel, didn't he? Didn't you get the feeling that he didn't want you guys near him?" Yusei thought about it. "I…guess it did feel that way, kinda. And you're talking about how Luca-chan was at his bedside the entire time?" That's exactly what she was talking about. "It's like she didn't even notice it. She didn't seem like she was uncomfortable there, either." Yusei nonchalantly exhaled more smoke. "I think that you're over thinking this, Aki. I mean, she's twelve. Sure, she's probably had a crush on a boy before; but he's like…what? A couple thousand years older than she is? Seems more likely to me like it's that Florence Nightingale syndrome. She's feeling some kind of maternal feeling because of her taking care of him, and she's just misinterpreting it as romantic interest." Aki gave him a dirty look. "And _I'm_ the one who's over thinking this? What's wrong with her having a little crush on the guy?" He shrugged. "It just seems like she'd be setting herself up for a serious let-down. I doubt some guy like him would be interested in anybody at all, especially a girl he's known for only a few days that's lifetimes younger than he is."

"Well…Don't count anything out for certain, Yusei…Of all people, I should know that feelings like that'll strike in strange ways."

"I suppose. If you _are_ right, though; then I can see his side pretty well. After all, the guy's spent more years alone than most people can fathom. Then comes this girl that's not much younger than him (physically) that treats him as a friend. I suppose it makes sense that he might fall for someone like that. It's a bit of a stretch, though…" He took a long, slow drag, held it for a second, and then exhaled. "I don't think it's anything, though. I think they're just friends, if even that." Aki reflected on what Yusei had said as he crushed his cigarette under his boot. "Hey, Aki. Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm? Yeah, what's up?" He turned around for a second, gazing at the sky, before he turned around to face her. "I was wondering if you'd be up for dinner tonight." Aki answered without hesitation. She didn't even blush in the slightest. "Sorry, Yusei. I'm already seeing someone. You were too slow on the draw this time." She didn't even feel regretful at turning him down. _I guess that this means that I really am over guys…_ She could read in his eyes that he was slightly hurt, but also kind of curious. "Don't bother asking, Yusei. It's really not your business who it is." He held up his hands as though a loaded gun were pointed at him. "No, no. I had no intention of asking. If you've got someone that you're happy with, then good for you." Aki smiled gently. "Thanks, Yusei. She's…the most important person to me." As her thoughts drifted to Carly, her cheeks were tinted pink and a warm smile manifested itself.

"Whoa, wait…'_She_?'"

"Yeah. _She_. I'm into girls, now. If you'd asked me a week or two ago, I'd've probably gone with you; but you were just too slow this time." Ouch, man. Beaten to the punch by a girl. Normally that wouldn't be a bad thing, but in matters of romance…Ouch. "A lesbian, huh? That's cool. So is that why you changed your hair, 'cept for those two bangs on the side of your head?" _It's about damn time somebody noticed! _"Yes. I trimmed it for our first date, and he only changes I made were my letting it out in back. I kinda like it this way." This was true. Ever since her first date with Carly, she'd actually kept her hair neat and tidy. She even grew it out in back.

"It does look good on you, I will admit. I'm guessing that you pulled it into a pony, since it's still long in back?"

"I did. It looked great, by the way; but it's not something I'd do every day. It's my 'formal occasion' hairdo." Somehow, Yusei had a hard time picturing Aki in formal clothing. "Do you mean 'a dress' formal, or just 'a nice shirt and skirt' formal?" She answered 'dress.' "Damn. I can't even picture you in a nice shirt and skirt, let alone a dress. That'd be something worth taking a picture of, 'cuz you wouldn't see that twice." Giving him a look that said 'you pig,' she started to walk away saying that she had to go and check in on Luca and the Egyptian. "I know you think I'm over-reacting, but it's better to be safe than sorry." He knew that this was not what she was really thinking, but he also knew better than to challenge this. "Yeah, sure. I gotta get back to work, anyways. Later!" He waved a goodbye at her, and then headed back into his workshop.

She lied. She didn't really feel like checking up on those two. She just didn't want the awkward questions to start. _I guess…Yusei's right. Now that I think about it…Kam and I aren't that different. He's spent so much time alone. It's no wonder why he's so reluctant to let us in._ _I guess he's afraid._ Poor guy. She knew what it was like to not want to get close to anybody, so maybe she could help him. The sky above was blue with few clouds, winds calm, and the warmth of the sun bathed Aki. It felt good. _I may as well try to crack him open next time we meet._ Meet…That reminded her of something. There was a tournament in town today. Aki shrugged. "It's not like I have anything else to do." She reached into her bag for her phone and dialed Carly's number. Why not invite her? Make a date out of it. It was still a few hours away. What to do until then…?


	4. Out on the Town

"Hey, hurry up Kam!" Luca swiftly walked about 15 paces ahead of him, full of life. "Gah, you're so slow!" She ran back to him and energetically tugged at his hand. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" The sun beat down heavily on 41's shoulders. The heat was nearly unbearable, even though he'd left his cloak back at the girl's. This weather was rather unlike the norm at this time of year. How she could run around like this was a freaking' mystery. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Calm yourself." Her ear-to-ear grin still shone brightly, even in the sun. "How can I? You actually agreed to go out on a date with me today!"

"I don't recall saying that this was…" She was already gone. Around the corner and most likely a block away. In spite of his slight irritation, he smirked to himself. Her being excited like this was almost…cute, not that he'd ever admit this openly. This was perhaps the first time that he had seen her actually act her age instead of like someone older with a larger burden on their shoulders. She came back around the corner and started pulling him along again. "Come ON, Kam! It's right around the corner!" In all honesty, he had no idea what he'd agreed to. After spending the morning on the deck, she suddenly jumped up exclaiming that she knew what they could do, shoved his duel disk into his hands, and dragged him out the door. "Luca…Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see, just hurry up!" She grabbed his hand and pulled hard. He decided to play along and picked up his pace to find nothing more than a large mass of people waiting around the corner. "What is this? A bazaar?" She pushed him playfully. "No, silly. It's a tag tournament." Looking around, he saw very little potential among the crowd. "Tournament?" Of course! That's why she handed him his disk. "Why would you bring me here? My participation would hardly be considered fair." She giggled. "No, it's a _tag_ tournament. Participants bring a partner and duels are conducted 2 on 2, you should know that. I just wanted to duel with you. That's not a problem, is it?"

"Duel…with me? No, I suppose it isn't…" He tried not to let his surprise show. She wouldn't know this, but trusting someone as a dueling partner was a sign of complete trust and was considered a great honor where he came from. It seemed to be more of a casual deal around this city, though. "But still…I don't think that this will be much of a competition."

"Oh, don't worry about that. There's nothing major on the line, so it's okay. I just wanna see how well we work together." Perhaps it was that he could not turn down a great honor she offered him, unknowing as it may have been; perhaps he just didn't want to. "Of course, Luca. I'd be honored be your partner." His words were accompanied by a deep bow, as if to royalty. She blushed. "Come on, Kam…If you say it like that, it sounds like you're proposing…But please, don't be so formal. We're friends, not passing faces." He apologized, but his words were swept up in the commotion caused by the start of the tournament. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome one and all to this citizen-sponsored tournament. Unfortunately, we are not authorized to give participants official titles; but the victors today will be known as the best on the streets!"

The opening ceremony for the tournament lasted for ten minutes, most of it running over the rules. "And don't forget ladies and gentlemen, the main focus of this event is to just relax and have fun. There's no pressure to show off. So in closing…" A man who looked as though he might be a proctor came running up to the announcer and whispered into his ear. "Oh, really…? Well, I'll be…Ladies and gentlemen; it has just been brought to my attention that our little tournament has been graced by the presence of a celebrity. Can we please have a round of applause for the child prodigy of New Domino city, young Luca-chan? She has been spotted several times amongst the crowd, accompanied by a man that nobody seems to be able to identify. Boyfriend? Relative? I'm not sure; but the real question isn't who our mysterious stranger is, but how he rates as a duelist. To anyone with the luck to encounter these two, the best of luck. You just may be in for a monster of a match!" The man who had run up earlier now stepped forward and announced the first tag teams to duel. 41 and Luca weren't registered for their first match until later and were almost immediately swarmed by her fans.

"Ohmygod! Luca-chan! I'm a huge fan of yours! Would you…?" Question after question after question, people bombarding them with adoring statements, and still more questions. 41 could feel his anger building. _Tch. Look at them. They're like locusts! They see a glimmer of skill and they flock to it, surround and engulf it, hoping to glean something from someone who is clearly better than they!_

"Is this your boyfriend, Luca-chan? He's cute…!" He knew that this question was bound to arise, but it still made him uneasy to hear. Any time a man and a woman were seen together, they were always assumed to be romantically involved. These locusts couldn't even read into others' actions. God, how they annoyed him. Still, he was curious as to how the Luca would answer such questions. Would she try to paint them as something they weren't, or would she tell the truth? "My boyfriend…? Well…Maybe. There might be _something_ there someday…But we're just friends." 41 heaved a sigh of relief. That could have been much, much worse.

"Just friends, huh?" The girl stuck her hand out, offering him a handshake. "A friend of Luca-chan's is a friend of mine. I'm Sara, nice to meetcha! If you ever want a _real_ woman, cutie, hit me up." She followed up the offer with a suggestive wink. Black hair, nice figure, fairly well-endowed. Any other man would have taken her up on it in a second. "Hmph. Not interested." Blunt and to-the-point. Best way to handle lecherous pests like this.

"Oh? So you've got eyes for Luca-chan only, huh? How sweet!" Wrong choice of words. "How _dare_ you make an assumption about me, you damned…!" Luca cut him off somewhat sharply. "No, really. It's not like that. Please, don't say anything out-of-line. He's really not too friendly with people he doesn't know." A loud explosion and the announcement of the next match helped to reduce the number of people around them, but there were still too many questions and adoring fans for comfort. Most of the following questions were still about the two of them. The question that got the greatest rise out of the crowd of people was when a blonde girl asked whether or not Luca liked him, to which she naturally responded that she did. As was natural to locusts like these; they immediately flocked from her to him, spouting questions about every which way about how he felt towards her and whatnot. His response came quick, hard, and sharp. "It's none of your damn business; now get the fuck away from me, YOU LOCUSTS!" They backed off, and Luca sighed. "I told you so…" Perhaps out of fear, perhaps realizing that the Q&A session was ended, the group more or less left. There were a few people that remained, asking for autographs and the like, but there was much more room to breathe now.

"Luca…I've been wondering. You're not just an ordinary twelve-year-old girl, are you? Everybody seems to know who you are." She scribbled down a quick message and a signature on a photo that 41 couldn't quite see for one of her fans. "Yeah, I guess so. I did really well in an official tournament a while ago, so everybody just started calling me a prodigy. It's kinda of fun at times, being so well-known; but…I really don't like it. I've gotten a couple of love letters…but I don't really like those boys. They're always stuck up or dumb."

"Dating at your age should just be about having fun. You're too young to know what real love is, anyways." She looked at him, almost sorrowfully. "I don't think that that's true. I don't think that dating should just be for fun. I think that you should save that most romantic part of yourself for someone that you really care about." Damn, that was a rather adult point of view. The more he talked with her, the harder he found it to view her as an ordinary child. "But how would you know if you care about someone if you don't spend the time to do so?"

"Sometimes…You just know, Kam. I know we haven't known each other that long, but…I find myself liking you more and more each day. I know that it seems hard to believe; I can hardly believe so, myself…I don't even know the words to express how I feel about you anymore." _Here we go…Here comes the emotional speech in public that I'm supposed to respond positively to…_ Oddly, though; he wasn't so sure how he felt towards her anymore. He was willing to admit that he found himself enjoying her company, and that she wasn't like everybody else; but whether or not he felt towards her affectionately was still a mystery to him. His body seemed to act of its own accord when he was around her. "So just for today, Kam…Would you at the very least try to not be so cold…?"

"…Fine. But only because it's _you_ asking." Her eyes immediately lit up when he said this. "Do you mean-"

"DON'T get me wrong. I'm doing it because…you're my friend…" He got suspicious looks from everybody who could hear them, especially Luca herself. "If that's what you say, Kam. I believe you."

"Next up, Luca-chan and her mysterious partner Ka…Kam…(How the Hell do you say that?)…The mysterious foreigner!" He could see her look away out of the corner of his eye. "You gave them my 'name?'" She didn't look up at him, but started walking to the makeshift arena. "I had to. We couldn't register otherwise." He didn't have to read her mind to know that she was lying. Well…It wasn't as if it were his real name, at least.

"Hey there, handsome…" It was that girl from before, the black-haired one. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and placed her head on his shoulder. "Good luck out there." He glared at her out of the corner of his eye and roughly shrugged her off without a word. The duel was insanely quick, however, as 41 was chosen to go second and crushed what little defenses their opponents has set up and proceeded to decimate them. They stood there slack-jawed at their rapid defeat as 41 left the arena with Luca following closely in his footsteps. The crowd was staring.

"Did you just see that?"

"Yeah…I don't believe it, though…"

"I think we're outclassed here…"

Of course they'd start talking. Anybody who was any good wouldn't need to gossip with the people around him if someone displays any skill…None of these people displayed any talent at all. He wished that they'd stop looking at him. It brought back unpleasant memories. _Hah. You know that they're now afraid of you, too…Don't you?_ He knew that it wasn't the case; but… "Hmph…I guess that old habits really do die hard…" He tried to force down his unease; but it didn't feel like cooperating. "Luca…I really think that this thing was a bad idea." Luca waited until most, if not all, eyes were on the next match and took his hand. "I know you're uncomfortable, but trust me. Everything will be fine."

"No, Luca…I'm not kidding. I can't be here. I'm leaving." He began to walk away and that's when he felt a hand hit him sharply upside the head. "What the Hell is wrong with you?" He turned to see Aki standing there looking rather bold while Carly cowered slightly behind her, whether it be nerves or that she was afraid was unclear. "I thought you didn't like people watching you? Why in the world would you draw attention to yourself like that? You know they're going to follow you, now" He said nothing. "Well? Speak up, dammit. I know you can talk." He turned his back to her. "What I do is none of your business, Ms. Izayoi…" She tried to hit him again, but he absent-mindedly knocked her hand aside. "_Ms._ Izayoi? What happened to 'Aki-san'?" He started to walk off. "So I used a different honorific. Does it really make any difference…?" He continued to walk, ignoring Luca's attempt to hold him back by grabbing his hand. He pulled free and left in spite of her protesting. She glanced back once to see if anybody noticed them ditching and followed him, telling Aki and Carly that she was following him and bidding them a swift farewell.

She managed to catch up to him half a block down, then slowed her pace to match his. "Well, then…If you don't want to participate in the tournament, what do you want to do? There's lots to do. We can go see a movie, or we can go walk through the park, or I can just show you around town if you want." He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't care, really…" She took his hand and tugged on it. "Alright. Let's go explore the city. Maybe it'll help you with your search." He pulled back on her hand, but she refused to let go. "Actually, Luca…I might as well tell you. There's no point in my continuing the investigation. I'm leaving the organization, whether they let me or not." Her face lit up completely. 41 could have sworn that it got brighter outside. "Really? Does that mean that you'll be staying here?" His gaze rose up to the cloudless blue sky. "…Maybe. I might go back to Egypt; I might go back to America. I have an eternity ahead of me to see the world, after all…" The glow to her faded a bit. "So…you're still going to leave?" He shrugged. "Maybe in time, but not for a while. Don't worry about it." She looked a little crestfallen, but perked back up immediately. "So let's go see a movie, Kam! What kind of movies do you like?"

"I don't know. I've never seen one."

"WHAT! How could you have never seen a movie!" She grabbed him by the arm and literally dragged him down the street to a large Cineplex, and practically threw him into the listings. "Do you see anything in particular that you might like?" Nothing looked even remotely interesting to him, but he felt that it would be a bad idea to say this. He felt himself pushed aside as Aki dropped enough money on the counter for the four of them with a small smirk, asking for tickets to the most recent thriller film. The tickets were handed to them with a thanking, and the four of them entered together. "…Why did you follow us, Ms. Izayoi?" She shrugged. "Carly and I had a feeling that we should probably tail you two. Besides, a simple street tournament was more a means of burning time. It'd be much more fun to make this a double-date, wouldn't you say?" She winked at him teasingly. He didn't react at all how she'd hoped. Rather, he barely reacted at all. "Hmph. You've got the wrong idea about this." Again teasingly, she nudged him. "C'mon…I can tell that you feel something towards her." He shoved her arm away. "Not in the way you're hoping I do." He would have said more, but Luca cut him off when she practically threw him into a seat. She sat in the seat next to him, wrapped her arm around his, and laid her head on it. "What the-?" With her free hand, she pressed a finger against his lips, effectively silencing him. "You just sit there quietly and watch." Where the Hell did she get off acting so bossy? And why was she using his arm as a damn pillow again! Oh well…he didn't really mind…It's not like resisting was going to be of any use…

Wait. He didn't mind? Those thoughts were definitely unlike him. Damn…This girl was definitely a strong influence. He couldn't help but wonder how many other people she'd affected before him.

Aki and Carly giggled as they sat on his other side. "You say you're not attached to her, but she's definitely attached to _you_. Y'know…I've noticed that if it were anybody else, you'd've already thrown them across the room. So why haven't you thrown her?" He avoided making eye contact. "She's still a child. I would gain nothing from removing her forcibly." He rested his head on his curled fist, leaning towards Luca in a lax manner. Carly, on the other hand, fidgeted rather nervously. She seemed to be avoiding looking in 41's generally direction. Honestly, it was starting to irritate him. "What, girl? If you have something to say, then spit it out, already. Don't just sit there, fidgeting like a child." Carly flinched as he spoke to her, shrinking back behind Aki. "N-no…It's nothing…" Aki leaned over to her and they had a short whispered conversation before Aki turned back to 41. "Sorry. She's just a bit scared of you. You _are_ a bit intimidating, and you really didn't make the best of first impressions." He held up his hand, cutting her off. "I know. I can tell. It's fine." It very much wasn't fine. He felt all-too familiar feelings of resentment resurfacing as he spoke. As if she could feel it, Luca squeezed his arm tighter. "You don't have to be afraid of him, Carly-san. Once he trusts you, he's really a nice guy." She leaned up and tried to kiss him reassuringly on the cheek, but he absentmindedly stopped her with his free hand. "Don't push it."

Carly leaned forward so that she could talk to Luca, though she still eyed 41 nervously. "Hey, Luca-chan…I haven't seen Lua-kun around lately. Where is he?" 41 felt Luca's grip on his arm tighten slightly and her face seemed to darken a bit. "We…We had a fight, so I told him to go back to the academy…" There was a slight tone of bitter sorrow in her voice.

"But aren't you supposed to be there as well? Aren't you missing classes by being here?" Luca shook her head no. "No, I was far enough ahead in my classes that I was allowed a leave of absence so that I could spend a few days and my birthday here with you guys. Lua was barely scraping by, so he's only allowed our birthday off. I have to go back after tomorrow." Aki nearly threw a fit at learning about this so little in advance and declared that she would buy the cake for the celebration when Luca said that they didn't have one. "No, it's okay Aki-san. I'm fine just being with my friends." 41 could tell without reading her mind that Aki was going to buy a cake regardless.

The movie started shortly, and the group fell silent. 41 found himself thoroughly bored as the film progressed, having already figured the whole thing out ten minutes in. Regardless, he sat there and bore through the boredom for the sake of the people with him. Unfortunately, his subconscious mindset decided to badger him. _This_ _is such a waste of time…There are so many other things you could be doing right now…You're turning into one of _them_, you realize. Look at yourself, enjoying the company of simple humans. You know full-well that you don't belong here._ No matter how much he tried to suppress it, his subconscious kept trying to force its way up. He mumbled silently to himself. "Hmph…Whatever you say. I'll do as I please. And…I'm happy here. These people are my…friends…" Friends. That word sounded almost foreign to him.

_Keep deluding yourself. You know that they'll turn their backs to you eventually. People like them always do._

41 waved his hand dismissively, ignoring his subconscious. Of course, he still felt the stirrings of discomfort around these people. Feelings of a thousand years would hardly crumble in a few days. However, he did consider them as friends. They were clearly going out of their way to reach out to him. What did he have to lose by giving them a chance? At worst, he'd go _from_ nothing, _to_ nothing. No big loss.

_What's happened to you, Zuberi? You used to be cold and efficient. Now look at you. Flirting around with these worthless girls…_

He glanced to his right, catching a glimpse of Aki invading Carly's mouth before he turned his eyes blankly back to the screen in front of him. He wouldn't show it, but seeing them left an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. It felt akin to being nervous, though he could scarcely recall what that felt like. Was it…envy? It really didn't matter what it was. Like everything else, this would also fade in time. He didn't even bother looking to his left. Luca had fallen limp some time ago, presumably asleep.

He did nothing through the remainder of the movie. He sat there quietly in perfect stillness, as if he were in a trance. No matter what he did, however, he could not drown out the noises coming from his right. He could hear Carly's quiet protesting as Aki apparently attempted to reach second base, worrying that he would see. Aki pointed out the he'd not moved once. Not even a twitch. And so he had to sit there as Aki proceeded to slide her hands into Carly's pants with total disregard towards the other two. Carly's soft moaning grew rather irritating rather quickly, but he was glad that Luca was asleep. Even he didn't think that children should be exposed to such behavior.

_See? They're nothing but primitive sex-craved beasts. Wherever the feel the urge, they rush to do it. Total lack of control, completely shameless. Do you truly want to be associated with these animals?_

He could feel his anger spiking towards himself. "No. They're not all like that. Some of these people are rather decent."

_Oh? Like who? That girl that's continually clinging to you? Do you really believe that once some random guy's taken her for a ride for the first time that she'll not continually want it? It's in their nature. You know as well as I that humans have no purpose other than reproduction._

41 knew that this was true; but even though he'd spent so many years despising them, he too was only human. He didn't know why, but he felt some strange kind of connection with these people; and he knew that he wasn't going to sit here and listen to them being badmouthed in such an offensive manner. Especially by his own subconscious. "Don't you _dare_ mock her! I-"

_Love her?_

"Of course not. Don't be absurd. She's just a child."

_Who are you trying to convince? Me, or you? You sure do spend a lot of time with this girl. You even went out of your way to go to that pathetic tournament with her. Now why would you do that, hmm? Methinks you've become so soft that you've fallen for this girl._

41 scoffed silently. "You clearly have a poor perception of what I feel for being my subconscious." _You say this, and yet I recall you feeling rather elated when this girl told you that she cares about you. Own up to it! You are in love with that Luca girl._

Before 41 could continue his internal argument, he was shaken roughly. "Hey, Kam. Snap out of it." Aki was jostling him with her foot on his shoulder, giving him a decent view up her skirt. Ignoring this, he pushed himself from his seat. The movie had apparently ended. "You alright? You were pretty out of it." He set his foot on the back of the seat in front of him and tightened his boot. "I'm fine. It's nothing to concern yourself with." He stepped over the seats and began to walk off. "That was an incredible waste of my time." Luca cut him off in the aisle and took his hand. "So what do you want to do now?" The rest of them shrugged.

"Hey, Aki…I've got an idea." Carly whispered into Aki's ear, and a wide grin spread across Aki's face. "That's a great idea, Carly!" She turned to 41 and grabbed his hand. "You're coming with us." Carly came around him and grabbed his other wrist and together they dragged him out of the theatre, apologizing to Luca for kidnapping him.

"What are you doing? Lemme go, dammit!" Everybody on the streets turned their passing heads to watch what seemed to be a kidnapping and quickly debated whether or not they should call the authorities. Ultimately, every one of them went about their way, convinced that a man of this one's stature could easily beat his "abductors" if he so chose. He looked like he belonged to the military. They: no more than two overly-excited women. They felt more pity for the guy than actual concern. "Come on! It'll be fun! You say you've been trying to integrate into modern society, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm _not_ going to a club with you two!" 41 was struggling against the black-haired girl and the redhead as they both used everything they had to drag him down the street, the steel soles of his boots literally chipping up parts of the cement sidewalk. "Aki-san, Carly-san…LET…ME…GO!" He sharply pulled his hand free from Carly's grip, but she quickly maneuvered behind him and began pushing him along while Aki took up his other hand. "Don't be such a crab, Kam! If you need any incentive, Crow frequents the club trying to pick up chicks. I know he hasn't apologized, so at least just walk in to punch his lights out and stay for the fun! Seriously, what do you have to lose?" He seemed to struggle a little less at the new prospect, so the two women practically carried him down the street, him swearing profusely at them the entire way, which constituted three blocks of humiliation. They only let him go once they had actually entered the club and there were too many people between them and the ext for him to slip out. He stood there, dusting himself off while the two laughed. "If you two weren't women, so help me…" Aki pushed him playfully.

"Don't be such a joyless hardass all the time, Kam. This is good for you. You need to interact with people; find out that the world isn't a _total_ shithole anymore." She gently tugged his hand, gently luring him out onto the dance floor. "Let's dance." Kam could barley hear what she'd said over the music blaring loudly. Add that in with the dim red lighting pierced by successive, measured pulses of strobe lights; he could barely even tell it was Aki who had hold of him. He yanked his hand from hers quickly. "I don't dance, Aki. It's as simple as that." He sidled into the corner and plopped down in a chair. She curtly followed him and resumed tugging his hand. "Come on. You'd dance if Luca-chan were here!" He yanked his hand from hers and claimed that he wouldn't. Aki stood there, arms crossed, trying to give him one of those "She's pissed, you'd better listen" looks that she'd seen other women use to control a man. Apparently she couldn't pull it off right because he just stared right back; unflinching in his emotionless expression. Aki sighed, then jumped in surprise as Carly wrapped her arms around the redhead's neck and nearly leaping onto her back.

"Oh, forget about him, Aki. Come dance with _me_!" The killjoy wasn't going to move, so Aki smiled lightly and followed Carly out onto the dance floor just as the song changed. The sexy red head wrapped her arms around Carly's waist from behind began whispering in her ear. Kam sat and watched them dance together sexily, grinding their bodies together and breathing heavily on each other, before he huffed and climbing out of his chair. He sneered in disgust. Did they really call this "dancing?" That was just dry-humping your partner. And this music…Terrible! It was just noise! He started to weasel his way between teens and young adults trying to get out when he spotted a semi-familiar hairdo peeking out just slightly over the heads of the people to his right. It couldn't be! Out of every possible person that could've been there, the one guy he was looking for more than the traitorous bastard Shinji. What luck! Surely the gods were on his side! He forced his way through the people until he stood behind the lad who was poorly flirting with four girls at once, making all sort of claims that were clearly lies. 41 placed a hand on his shoulder and savored the moment of realization that dawned on Crow's face as he recognized 41 only moments before his right fist made contact with Crow's face. The bones in his jaw could be heard shattering crystal clear over the sound of the music. Everybody turned in time to see Crow stumble backwards a few steps before collapsing.

The music faded out quickly as people gathered around the two men, Crow on the ground screaming in pain and cradling his broken jaw and screaming profanities. "Mother fucker! What the hell was that for? What the fuck did I do to you?" 41 stood there in a rage, staring furiously at him. "Did you forget! YOU HIT ME WITH A ROCK, YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU SPLIT MY DAMN SKULL OPEN!" 41 lifted his foot and stomped down hard on Crow's chest and shifted all of his weight onto him. His ribcage could be heard snapping, but just barely over the sound of Crow's yelp. "Don't you forget, maggot…" 41 growled at him through bared teeth, "I will not hesitate to kick your ass through this wall and back again! I was unconscious for _hours_ because you were too stupid to think about your actions and the consequences for both parties. Unfortunately for you…" 41 ground his foot into Crow's chest even harder and twisted it. "…I can hold a grudge for a long, long time. If you _ever_ try to pull that shit again, you had better hope that your God holds you in high favor." He pulled his foot off of Crow's chest and kicked him hard in the side, sending his skidding and tumbling across the floor. He came to an ironic halt at the feet of the whores he had been trying to impress just a minute prior, who had front-row seats to his demasculinization. The bystanders just stared on, terrified and appalled at the sudden violence, as 41 stormed out of the club with people in his path giving him a wide berth.

Carly ran over to help Crow to his feet while Aki went chasing after 41. "Jesus, Kam…That was both amazing and terrifying at the same time. Was that really necessary? I mean, I know you wanted to kick his ass; but that might've been going a little overboard." 41 didn't break pace, didn't turn, didn't speak. "Hey! Come on, Kam! You don't have to ignore me." She could feel the malicious aura emanating from him. "Begone, girl. I've no desire to speak to you now." His rage towards Crow had spiraled out of his control, and he was starting to lapse back to his old self. "I'm your friend, Kam. There's no need-"

"Stop calling me that." He barked the command. "What do you mean? I thought you said that it didn't matter what we called you?" He scoffed, his attitude rapidly becoming more and more condescending. "You say that you're my friend, yet you never bothered to ask me if I have a name of my own in spite of what I said? Pitiful. You're just as worthless as the rest of them." Aki grabbed his arm and whirled him around, slapping him harshly and leaving a bright red mark on his cheek. "You knock that off, Kam! You're so full of shit that it's pathetic. What if Luca-chan heard you talking like that?" He cast her a gaze of death just moments before grabbing her wrist tightly and squeezing, almost to the point of crushing it. She winced and cried out in pain as the dark intent seeped from him. "I don't give a damn what that child thinks, nor do I care about anybody else. You humans are nothing more than self-serving scum, ready to abandon anybody else at the drop of a hat." Aki was clawing at his hand, trying to get him to release his grip, with tears of pain welling up in the corners of her eyes as he slowly tightened his grip even more. "Kam…Please stop…It hurts!" A shadow seemed to fall over his face as a mad grin parted at his lips. Fear gripped her as she realized that he intended to crush her wrist and she continued begging him to stop. Then, just as suddenly as this dark spell had come, his eyes widened with realization and he instantly released her wrist. "I…I'm sorry…" It would seem that old habits really _do_ die hard.

"It…It's…okay…" Aki stood there, rubbing her throbbing wrist. "So are you going to help me pick a cake for Luca-chan and Lua-kun's birthday tomorrow? I'm sure it would mean a lot to Luca-chan if you did." He looked away, letting what little breeze the city allowed to rustle through his hair and the sun to fall upon his face. "…Why do you continue to bring her up? I've told you that you're imagining things that aren't there." She knew that he was lying through his teeth. "…Fine. I'll go with you." He knew what implications this would leave, but he didn't care. He wasn't even sure if she was wrong. Not since his inner argument, at any rate. He sighed. _This is becoming so unnecessarily bothersome…_

…

Carly had met up with Aki and 41 about an hour later, after she had to call three times before getting the place right. She finally found them in the bakery about five blocks from the club. "Jeez…About time that I finally found you guys. Whatcha doin'?" 41 glanced over his shoulder briefly as Aki continued to stare intently at the sugary cakes. "We're picking out a birthday cake for Luca-chan and Lua-kun. Do you see anything that might be fitting?" Carly glanced around, observing the contents of the entire shop. "Uhh…no. I don't think I do? All these cakes seem way too fancy. Like wedding cakes or something…" Aki nodded. "That's kinda the idea. Since I managed to talk Kam into helping us plan and celebrate, and considering what Kam means to Luca-chan, I don't think that any old generic cake who be fitting. We don't know how long Kam will be here, so I want it to at least be memorable with the best damn birthday cake she's ever had." Carly leered at Aki. "You know…This isn't just about Luca-chan. It's Lua-kun's birthday as well. I really don't think that he wants to have fond memories of a guy." For the first time since Carly arrived, Aki stood up and looked away from the cakes. She promptly straightened her skirt and leaned over to Carly's ear and whispered to her. "If I know Luca-chan, then she's likely to confess how she feels to this guy. If things go bad, I at least want her to remember _something_ good among the bad. Thing of it more as insurance." That explanation made much more sense. "Ohh…I get it, now. Hmm…" She looked around the store again, taking a closer look at each cake this time around. "Hey…Didn't Lua-kun say once that he hated chocolate?"

"Uhh…Yeah, I think so. Luca-chan also said a while back that she dislikes chocolate. So…How about something with strawberries, maybe?" Carly pointed to a display case at the far end of the shop. "There's one over there, but it looks like it has coconut on it. Lua-kun's allergic to coconut, isn't he?" The girls continued to debate back and forth with each other while 41 sighed, amazed at how much they knew about the twins. _I suppose that you learn these things about people if you've known them long enough…_ He glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing how it was getting late. He figured that the store would probably be closing soon. "If you're so insistent about finding one that's perfect, then why not put in a custom order and just pay for the rush order?" The girls felt stupid for not having thought of that. "That's actually a really good idea, Kam. I dunno why it didn't cross our minds." Aki patted him on the shoulder and placed an order with the clerk, leaving Carly alone with 41. Carly tried her hardest to avoid eye contact with him, still a bit nervous under his overbearing presence. This didn't go unnoticed. "…I'm not going to bite. You needn't be so nervous."

"I-I know that…It's just…" She started to fidget with her sleeves as a means of distracting her from conversing. The seconds ticked by in awkward silence. Carly took a deep breath and decided to try and break it. "Y-You're from Egypt, right?" He nodded his head slowly, not feeling a need to respond vocally. "What's it like there?"

"I don't know. I haven't been back in a while. Last I heard, there was a large civil war occurring. It might be completely destroyed now for all I know." Last time he'd been home was shortly before the turn of the 17th century. "Oh…I understand, I guess. You're a mercenary, right? I suppose it makes sense, then." She fell silent for another second, as if hesitant about her next question. "Hey…Just why _are_ you so friendly with Luca-chan, if you don't mind me asking. You really don't look like the kind of person who gets along with children." For the first time since she started speaking, he made eye contact with her. "Is there a problem with me being friendly towards a girl only three years younger?" Carly's eyes widened slightly. "You're sixteen? But you look so mature! I would have guessed more like thirty." He sighed and broke the eye contact. "I get that a lot." He glanced upwards quickly before noticing Aki finishing up at the counter. "It would appear as though our business here is finished." He made a small sweeping gesture towards the door and escorted the two ladies outside.

The sun was setting now, and the light filtered through the cityscape as the inhabitants began to retreat to their nightly hideouts. Aki and Carly split up from 41 as they went the way of their apartments and he went the way of the twins' house. He waved briefly towards them as a leaf fluttered from a nearby tree and landed on his shoulder. Today was, all things considered, a good day. For reasons unknown, though, the day yet to come had a foreboding feeling about it. Almost as if his world were to change forever. "What have I gotten myself into? Ra help me…" He closed the door behind him silently, so as to not wake the dozing Luca.

* * *

Even if 41 had been willing to sleep the following day away in order to stay his growing apprehension, there was no way that he'd have been able to. The noise cause by the celebration was far too loud. It would have even woken a slumbering bear. He was not quite sure how he'd been pulled into the festivities, but he quickly found himself in the company of the Signers and forced into participation. The part that really surprised him was how Lua, in spite of his hostile attitude towards 41, even seemed to start to warm up to him; even if only a little bit. He could still feel that the boy had hostile feelings towards him, but it didn't feel like anything that would need to be taken care of any time soon. 41 could, however, feel the boy's burning gaze whenever Luca decided to cling on to him. He had wondered on more than one occasion whether or not the child had incestuous feelings towards his sister, but had since decided that it was more likely a feeling of jealousy in that he had been his sister's pillar of support and was quickly replaced. The boy would learn in time that such events happen rather frequently in life, and that this was not going to be the last time he experienced it.

Still…As the day progressed, 41's foreboding feeling continued to brew deep within his stomach. It was so bad at one point that it created a feeling of nausea so nasty that he quickly succumbed and collapsed, though he had quickly recovered. He knew that something today would change either his or one of these people's lives forever, and it would not be something trivial such as falling in love. Something big was going to happen today, and he couldn't help but fear that he would be on the causing end of it. He could feel the cold steel of his knife pressed against his ankle. This only added to his discomfort as the day progressed. Currently; he sat in the corner of the living room, staring blankly at the floor.

"Hey…You feeling alright, man?" Without 41's noticing, Yusei had slipped up beside him and crouched down. "You're sweating pretty badly. If you're sick, you don't need to push yourself. Go get some rest if you need it. Luca-chan and Lua-kun will understand." He looked back over his shoulder quickly. "Well…Luca-chan will, anyways." 41 waved his hand dismissively, not lifting his eyes from the carpet. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. I just have this feeling that something is going to happen today…" He raised his empty gaze out the window. Without standing, Yusei slugged him hard in the shoulder. "C'mon, man. Do you really think so little of us that you do believe that we can take care of ourselves? If something happens, we deal with it! You don't have to worry yourself sick on our accounts. We're not so fragile." 41 hung his head again. "…I hope you're right…"

Yusei slugged him again, only lighter. It was more like a nudge. "Hey, man. Buck up, why don'tcha? You're gonna drag the party down. You don't wanna do that to Luca-chan, do you?" 41 subconsciously clenched his fist at this. "Why is it…that you all seem to see what is not there?" 41 unballed the fist and he glanced to Yusei from the corner of his eye and watched the man stand. "Well…To be honest, I _don't_ see anything there; but Aki-san said that using Luca-chan was a good way to talk you into things. Like she's your weak spot or something. I may not see what Aki-san sees, but I do understand why your weak point would be Luca-chan. She's the first person in a long time to treat you like a human, right? It makes sense that you'd treasure her. In my mind it does, at least." Yusei held a hand out to help 41 to his feet. "So whaddaya say?" 41 hesitated momentarily before taking Yusei's gloved hand and standing. "…Alright." Outside the windows, however, several dragons emerged slowly from and hid in the shadows of the building. 41 didn't know what was going to happen, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Should Shinji or anybody with any traces of his aura draw close, 41's dragons would detain them quite effectively. For the first time since he could remember, he actually felt as though he genuinely wanted to protect people.

…

The day progressed rather uneventfully, aside from Aki and Carly unintentionally coming out to a mostly unaffected crowd. Lua and Crow were the only two who seemed to care, and in a rather perverse manner. Crow's actions grew offensive to the point the 41 had to help Jack remove him from the premises. Much to the group's amusement, Crow decided to go without a fuss once 41 got involved. Aki doubled over laughing when she saw how fast Crow left when 41 stood over him menacingly, but only because she knew why Crow was so scared of the Egyptian. Luca and Lua, on the other hand, still seemed to have a bit of an awkward distance between the two in spite of them apologizing to each other for their actions. They didn't let this seeming gap detract from the celebration though and put on the façade of normality. 41 watched this with care, continuing to take mental notes on how friends acted with each other. _So…even though it puts more strain between them, they force themselves to act normally so that they don't upset their friends? But why would they do that at the toll on themselves?_ He just could not figure out their reasoning. He could, however, see what an asshole he'd been to them these last few days with how he'd been repeatedly refusing the hand of friendship that they continually extended to him. And yet…they didn't give up on him. Why?

_Why have these people been so kind to me? It just doesn't make sense!_ "Hey, you." 41 was jerked from his train of thought once again, but this time by Jack. "Oh, Mr. Atlas. Is there something you need?" Jack hiked his thumb over his shoulder. "No. Aki asked me to tell you to get your ass in the kitchen for the cake-cutting." 41 was confused for a second and looked around, noticing how everybody else had disappeared while he was lost in thought. "Oh. Yes, I'm on my way." Jack turned to walk away with a look of disinterest on his face. Intrigued by something, 41 called back to him. "What now?" Jack didn't feel like turning around. "There's something I'm curious about. When you address people, you seem to leave off the honorific that everybody else is adamant about tacking on. Why is that?" Jack huffed. "I don't have time for such trivial nonsense. I'll address them as I please. If they don't like how I do things: tough shit." Crude and blunt, this man was. 41 wondered how the other Signers could get along with people such as Jack and himself. He just couldn't wrap his head around the concept of "friends." There were far too many inconsistencies. "Why am I even bothering to try…?" He couldn't help but wonder this to himself as he trudged into the kitchen for the finale of their celebration.

Because of the short-notice nature of the party, the only present for the twins was the cake. Courtesy of Aki, Carly, and 41, of course. Luca was contented with just her friends being there with them; but Lua seemed a little peeved at being "stiffed," as he would have put it. He'd just have to deal with it. The twins blew out the candles together and everybody except 41 (because he didn't know that he was supposed to do so) cheered for and congratulated them. As Carly started to cut the cake, 41 decided to retire to his room for now. He laid alone in the darkness, staring emptily at the ceiling, spread-eagle on the bed. "These people are such a bother. So why am I feeling these things…?" He couldn't explain these new feelings that had been arising in him over these last few days with these people. The closest thing he'd ever felt to this would be camaraderie, but this felt much warmer than that.

There was a soft knocking on the bedroom door, followed by a soft voice. "Hey…You there?" He recognized the voice, but had difficulty placing a face to it. 41 rolled over so that his back was to the door. "…The door's open." The door clicked softly as Lua opened it and stepped inside a little bit. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I just want to say I'm sorry for not giving you a chance. I was a real ass to you and I shouldn't have been." There was a moment of silence between the two before 41 waved him away. "…Don't apologize. You had every right to be suspicious of me." Lua hung his head as he began to apologize again, but was cut off sharply by 41's laugh. There was no warmth in that laugh. It was cold and uninviting. A callous, hollow laugh. He sat up in the bed and laid his head against the wall. "What is it with you people? No matter what I do, I am incapable of figuring you out. A few days ago, you hated the very thought of me; yet here you are, desperately apologizing even though I said not to." He stretched his arm out to the side and gently pounded the wall. "You are all so damned confusing." Lua stepped a bit farther into the room. "Well…We're just like all people. You can't just piece us together like a jigsaw puzzle, man. There are some things that just don't make sense, things that can't be explained." He bowed again and held the pose. "My sister…She really cares about you. Be good to her…please…" With that last request, Lua back from the room and closed the door behind him quietly. Alone again in the darkness, the boy's words lingering in the air, 41 placed his palm over his face. "…Can't explain, huh…?"

He sat there for about another hour before he decided to return to the mostly-empty living room. Only Luca was left, cleaning up the mess from the celebration. 41 looked around briefly. "What the Hell happened here? Where'd everybody go?" Luca plucked a golden streamer from the back of the couch. "Jack-san said that he was going for a beer and Yusei went with him. I don't know _where_ Lua went to." She puffed up her cheeks slightly as she said this. "That explains three of them. What about Ms. Izayoi and Ms. Nagisa?" Luca didn't answer that. She just turned a furious shade of red and immediately dropped her eyes to the floor. As if planned, a loud bang resonated through the decoration-littered room from behind the closed door to the master bedroom. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. He walked over to the door and pounded on it roughly. "Whatever limbs are in whichever organs: remove them and take it elsewhere, you animals." Carly's screamed in embarrassment and surprise behind the door and the sound of clothes being put on hastily could be heard very faintly. The door opened not long thereafter. Aki stepped out first with her hair messed and her clothes awry, followed swiftly by Carly in the same condition. The pair quickly mumbled and apology and ran out the door, beet red.

Seeing as how nobody else was willing to help, 41 aiding Luca in the cleaning up of her birthday celebration. There wasn't really that much there to clean, but he felt obligated to do so anyways. When the two of them had finished, he sat on the couch and looked out the window at the cityscape. Lua's words earlier came back to his mind, and he was once again flooded with questions. The most prominent of which was his ever-recurring question. "Luca…" He spoke out as soon as she sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "…Why don't you hate me?" He could feel her turn her head to look at him, but he didn't meet her gaze. "What do you mean?"

"I attacked your city and nearly killed you along with friends; so why are you all trying so hard to befriend me? Why don't you hate me? Why! I just don't get it…" His speech sounded as though it needed tears to complete, but not a single drop appeared to even _consider_ building up. Luca thought hard. "Well…" This was a hard question to answer. "I suppose that it's partly because what happened wasn't your fault. You were being used. And Aki-san knows where you're coming from from personal experience, so I can understand why she wouldn't be mad. And me…I can see right through your act. You don't push us away because you don't want to be our friend. You're afraid of being hurt, aren't you?" She rolled over so that she was sitting on his lap, facing him and obstructing his view of the city. "I can feel it. You desperately want someone that cares about you, but you've been hurt so many times before that you're so afraid of getting hurt that you decide to hurt others first. Isn't that right? You've been betrayed so often that you can't trust others. I could never bring myself to hate you because you're already in such pain. I can't even begin to tell you how much it hurts to see you suffering so much. But…" She started drawing a bit closer to him. "…none of us would ever do that to you. I'd never dream of it. Because with each passing day, I'm realizing more and more that this isn't just some child's crush I have on you. I don't know how it started; but…with every day that passes, I'm falling more and more in love with you." She gently kissed him. To both their surprise, he didn't try to resist or object. Lua's words echoed in 41's mind again. _…can't be explained…_

There was a clear look of shock in Luca's eyes. "Kam…You…" He had to cut her off. It was time to come completely clean. To her, at least. "Zuberi. My name is Zuberi."

"But you said that you didn't have a name…" She drew closer to him once again, but keeping a bit of a distance instead of kissing him. "I lied. I had no reason to trust you then; but I do now. More than I've ever trusted any human. I think…I might be falling for you, too…" This whole situation felt odd and new to him, yet strangely right. "Kam…No, I mean Zuberi…Will you please share your pain with me?" It took every once of courage in his body that he could muster, but he closed the small gap between them and kissed her himself. Honestly, he didn't feel as if he were making a mistake. When their embrace finally broke, Luca's eyes seemed to be slightly glossed over and she was blushing slightly. He gently touched his forehead to hers. "Very well." Luca, in her daze, slumped forward against Zuberi's chest and laid there. "Zuberi…" She sounded almost sad. "…Did you not want me to?" She lightly shook her head against his chest. "No…I'm really happy." Together, the two sat in blissful silence, simply enjoying each other's company. As the sun finally started to sink below the skyline, Zuberi felt Luca grip onto his shirt. "Hey, Zuberi…?" Her voice was weak and soft, almost impossible to hear. "Hm? What is it?" She lifted her head a bit so he could hear her better. "You know how I have to go back to school tomorrow, right?" He nodded slightly. "I seem to recall you mentioning that. What about it?" She tightened her grip on his shirt and leaned the top of her head against his chest. "Well…"


End file.
